Ruben Amorim’s first year at Manchester United hasn’t been easy. He takes his side to Nottingham Forest looking for a fourth straight Premier League win as he marks one year in the job.
The 40-year-old came in with a reputation as an innovative thinker after winning two Primeira Liga titles with Sporting CP, but he’s been under pressure since arriving in England.
It was clear from the start that the Premier League would be a much tougher challenge. United finished 15th last season and started this one slowly, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe still came out publicly to back Amorim.
Since then, results have picked up. And a strong finish to the season could do wonders for confidence around Old Trafford going into next year.
Ruben Amorim takes stock of his challenging time at Man Utd
Amorim’s first year at Manchester United hasn’t been smooth. There have been plenty of bumps along the way, and while recent results have helped ease some of the pressure, there’s still a long road ahead if United are going to turn this season into something positive.
The lack of European football has made managing the squad even tougher, and Amorim is clear about what needs to be done. A top-six finish is the goal, and anything less will be seen as falling short.
Looking back on his difficult spell at Old Trafford, Amorim believes it may have been an important turning point in his coaching career.
“I went through a bad period – but that’s part of a coach’s life,” Amorim told DAZN.
“Looking back on my whole story, maybe that was the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s easy to say that now because we’re winning, but I honestly think I’m a much better coach today.
“It’s strange to say, but I think I am because I learned how to overcome things I didn’t even know how to deal with before.”
Amorim has won just 21 of his 52 matches in charge so far—a win rate of only 40.4%. Among all United managers since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013, only Ralf Rangnick had a lower win percentage (37.9%).
Ruben Amorim’s most notable win as Man Utd boss
Ruben Amorim’s most emphatic result with Manchester United came last season, a 4-0 win over Everton in the Premier League.
Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee each bagged braces against a Toffees side then managed by Sean Dyche, who would be dismissed from his post the following month.
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The result didn’t turn things around for United’s season, but it did provide a rare moment of dominance during an otherwise challenging campaign.
More recently, United secured a 4-2 victory over Brighton and will be looking to build on that when they face Nottingham Forest tonight.
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