Former Liverpool defender and prominent Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has delivered a brutal assessment of Ruben Amorim's tenure at Manchester United, declaring the Portuguese coach is 'not good enough' to manage the club.
Carragher's Scathing Verdict on Amorim's Reign
The criticism follows comments made by Amorim after Manchester United's 1-1 draw away at Leeds United on Sunday. In a post-match statement that has raised eyebrows, Amorim insisted he was the 'manager' of the club, not merely a head coach, hinting at underlying tensions with the United hierarchy. This came amid reports he was unhappy with a lack of backing in the January transfer window.
Carragher, however, believes Amorim has no right to question his employers given United's poor form. 'I don't think he is in any position whatsoever to be questioning the people who appointed him,' Carragher stated. 'Because he's not good enough. He's not good enough to be Manchester United's manager. He's barely competent enough to be a Premier League manager right now.'
Analysing the Source of Tension at Old Trafford
Carragher suggested the friction could stem from one of two issues: transfer market frustrations or tactical indecision. He pointed to a recent poor performance against Wolves, where Amorim reverted to a back five after showing promise with a back four, as evidence of the latter.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville also weighed in on his podcast, interpreting Amorim's emphasis on the 'manager' title as a power play. 'Manager suggests that he's saying he wants to manage more than just the training ground performance, he wants to oversee other parts of the club,' Neville said, highlighting the traditional English 'manager' role versus the modern 'head coach' model.
Neville expressed surprise at the timing of Amorim's outburst, noting that a point at Elland Road was a decent result. 'There's no real need for a fire right now but there's a fire being created,' he added.
Mounting Pressure Amidst Poor Form
The public airing of grievances comes at a difficult time for the club. Manchester United finished a dismal 15th in the Premier League last season and, despite having no European football this term, continue to underwhelm. The team has won just one of its last five games and sits sixth, three points off the Champions League places.
Amorim is expected to face questions on the matter at his next press conference on Tuesday, January 6th, ahead of United's Premier League trip to face Burnley on Wednesday. The pressure is mounting on the former Sporting boss to turn results around and quell the growing sense of crisis at Old Trafford.
