- Amorim has lost five of his first eight league matches as Man United head coach
- Potter endured a nightmare spell at Chelsea after a mid-season appointment
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! New formation, some new faces, but the optimism has gone at Old Trafford
Jamie Carragher has warned Man United head coach Ruben Amorim is at risk of suffering the same fate as Graham Potter following his ill-fated spell at Chelsea.
Amorim has made the worst start of any United manager in over 100 years, losing five of his first eight league matches in charge.
The Red Devils have failed to score in their last three matches, ending 2024 with losses against Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle to slip to 14th in the Premier League table.
Amorim, who took over as head coach in November following Erik ten Hag‘s sacking, now faces the daunting trip to Anfield rivals and Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
Writing in his Telegraph column, former Liverpool defender Carragher highlighted how Amorim had originally been reluctant to take the job during the season and instead wanted to oversee a summer rebuild.
Carragher warned the former Sporting Lisbon head coach’s start to life is threatening to mirror Potter’s time at Chelsea after a ‘horrendous’ run of five defeats in six matches.
Jamie Carragher warned Ruben Amorim is at risk of mirroring Graham Potter’s time at Chelsea
Potter had been appointed by Chelsea in September 2022 but was sacked seven months later
Carragher claimed Amorim’s reign currently looks to be making a deteriorating situation worse
Potter had been appointed in September 2022 after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, but was sacked just seven months later with the Blues languishing in 11th after winning only 12 of his 31 games in charge.
‘A big worry as United head to Anfield is that Amorim’s arrival was supposed to echo Jurgen Klopp’s at Liverpool, both in terms of the point of the season at which he took over, and the galvanising impact on players and supporters,’ Carragher wrote.
‘Currently, Amorim’s reign has more in common with Graham Potter’s brief spell at Chelsea, where a deteriorating situation was made worse.
Carragher, however, highlighted a key difference between Amorim and Potter in his attempt to turn around an underperforming club.
He suggested that Amorim carries the ‘aura of a top coach’ and gives confidence he will succeed at Man United, whereas Potter appeared ill-suited to the culture at Chelsea.
‘I was never convinced the Englishman was suited to Stamford Bridge,’ Carragher wrote. ‘That was a hunch based on the culture of the club, where fans are accustomed to seeing ready-made, superstar managers such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte.
Chelsea have always struck me as needing an extrovert to impose their authority with a big personality, even when speaking to the media. Potter is a different character.
‘Amorim, on the other hand, carries the aura of a top coach. Unlike Erik ten Hag, he looks and sounds the part. Listening to him gives you confidence he knows exactly what he wants from his players, and given the time and resources he will succeed.’
The former Liverpool defender believes Amorim can still avoid the same fate as Potter
He suggested Potter had been ill-suited to the Chelsea job given the club’s previous coaches
Carragher believes Amorim has the ‘aura of a top coach’ and carries the belief he will succeed
Amorim, who has seen his side struggled to implement his 3-4-3 system to date, admitted he was ’embarrassed’ by his team’s results after their 2-0 loss to Newcastle on Monday.
The 39-year-old had sounded a warning that Man United could be dragged into the relegation battle, with the club only seven points clear of the drop zone.
‘It is also my fault. I think the team is not improving. It is a little bit lost in this moment,’ said Amorim.
‘It is a bit embarrassing to be Manchester United coach and lose a lot of games. But we have to cope with difficult moments in the life of everybody.
‘That is really clear, so we have to fight. It is a really difficult moment, one of the more difficult moments in the history of Manchester United and we have to address it with honesty.’
Amorim has remained steadfast in the belief of his system at Man United, but admitted a lack of time on the training pitch has hindered his side.
‘You cannot go back. You have to continue to push,’ he said. ‘We had four training [sessions] all together. I know what you are trying to reach but it’s really clear, I’m here because of my idea and I will continue with my idea until the end.
‘I change something tactical in every game. You [media] focus on three defenders, I change on something every game. If I didn’t believe then I would change, I’m not stubborn I just believe in something and stick on that.’