Manchester United are still in the early stages of the Ruben Amorim era and certainly need to give him time to get on track.
Ruben Amorim started his Manchester United reign with a draw and two victories before falling to a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal.
United then lost 3-2 at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening, handing everybody a brutal reminder of the job facing Amorim.
The 39-year-old is attempting to take United forward after the Erik ten Hag era came to a rather dismal end.
United backed Ten Hag over the summer and handed him a number of new signings, but he couldn’t bring consistent results and performances to Old Trafford.
- READ MORE: Portuguese reporter claims Ruben Amorim has caused Sporting problems after Manchester United move
Ruud Gullit on Erik ten Hag
Amorim is now left to try and press ahead with Ten Hag’s squad, which is full of players who have ultimately blown hot and cold.
A feature of Ten Hag’s reign was a desire to reunite with his former Ajax players.
Lisandro Martinez and Antony followed Ten Hag to United in 2022 before United signed goalkeeper Andre Onana for up to £47million.
Two more former Ajax players joined last summer as Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui signed for United from Bayern Munich.
This strategy hasn’t exactly brought success to United and attempting to re-assemble the 2019 Ajax side is a questionable venture.
Ruud Gullit has now delivered his verdict on that approach whilst speaking on beIN SPORTS on Tuesday night.
The former Ballon d’Or winner suggested that Ten Hag’s ‘biggest mistake’ at United was bringing players from Ajax to the Premier League.
Gullit feels that the difference in intensity from the Eredivisie to the Premier League is just so enormous that players can’t replicate their form.
Gullit brought up Louis van Gaal doing the same thing with Memphis Depay, but does still believe that Ten Hag is a ‘good coach’ despite his United exit.
“The biggest mistake – and we warned him – don’t take players from Ajax to the Premier League,” said Gullit.
“It’s not the same. Van Gaal did the same thing, he bought Depay and he never did the same kind of thing.
“I get it, you are used to seeing these players every day and you think ‘he can do it’ but that is not the case, especially when you go to the Premier League. It’s a different way, it’s faster, there is more intensity.
“We warned him and said ‘don’t do it’, he did it again and here you go. It’s a pity. I still say that Ten Hag is a good coach but I think he underestimated the task at Manchester United,” he added.
Ruben Amorim may want to match Ten Hag approach
Ten Hag signing players he knows and trusts didn’t really work out despite him going to that particular well on numerous occasions.
New boss Amorim is now in the hot seat and it’s no surprise to see a number of his former Sporting stars being linked with United.
Amorim wants Viktor Gyokeres and Geovany Quenda whilst United are also keen on Sporting’s Francisco Trincao.
Add in claims that Amorim wants Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande and United may be left with a dilemma.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is unhappy with United’s summer transfer business though and allowing managers to have so much power may well be part of his frustration.
Many would view Portugal’s top flight as being on a similar level to the Eredivisie, so some will have concerns that signing Sporting players will leave United with the same issues as signing Ten Hag’s former Ajax stars.
Amorim will hope for that backing but the struggles of Ten Hag’s favourites may just leave Ineos questioning such deals in the future.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
