Former Manchester United player and assistant manager Mike Phelan has urged Ruben Amorim to take some examples from Sir Alex Ferguson’s management to restore order at the football club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has publicly backed Ruben Amorim as Manchester United’s head coach, after a poor start to the season.
United are sitting 10th in the Premier League with three wins from seven matches. Still, a 2-0 victory over Sunderland last time out saw Amorim’s side get back to winning ways following United’s disappointing defeat away to Brentford.
Up until Ratcliffe displayed his public backing of Amorim, stressing that patience is needed, there is no denying that the head coach was under pressure. He is still in terms of results on the pitch because nobody can say they’ve been good enough in the past 11 months.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 8 |  EvertonEverton | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 11 |
| 9 |  SunderlandSunderland | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
| 10 |  Manchester UnitedManchester United | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 10 |
| 11 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| 12 |  BrightonBrighton | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 9 |
Ratcliffe is also basing his faith on Amorim from the club’s history standpoint, with Sir Alex Ferguson afforded plenty of time to reach the promised land.
One man who knows Ferguson better than most is Mike Phelan, after being signed by the legendary Scot from Norwich City in 1989.
Phelan, who later became United assistant manager on two separate occasions, has urged Amorim to take a leaf from Ferguson’s book.
Mike Phelan encourages Ruben Amorim to learn from Sir Alex Ferguson
There is not a better manager to learn from than Ferguson when it comes to leadership, man management and success.
The 13-time Premier League winner also had an infamous relationship with the media, with many battles fought, and most of them won.
Ferguson protected his players and did his best to control what stories came out, especially knowing how the British mainstream media could twist the narrative.
Phelan believes Amorim must become more wary in front of journalists at press conferences, but acknowledges that he is still learning after a short period in Manchester.
Speaking to Sky Sports News on Wednesday night, Phelan said:
“I don’t want to go back to the ‘winning days’ but it crops up a bit when you have managers at Manchester United who control the press.
“This is definitely a Sir Alex one. You control the press room. It’s not the other way around when the press control the press room. You get the message out that you need to get out.
“I think he’s [Amorim] honesty is there, that’s definite. He has this essence about him, he does want to succeed and that’s great. That’s really good because personality and body language has got to come across as bigger than everything that goes on at Manchester United. Particularly at that football club.
“So they’ve had top, top managers. And some have [sic] to the honesty of it sometimes, so I think he’s learning. I think he’s definitely learning along the way. What to say and what not to say. He’s pretty open, great, but ultimately you’re the manager of Manchester United and you have to start to show – not just results – but consistency in performance.”
What is Mike Phelan doing now?
Phelan is still coaching and consulting through Mike Phelan Coaching, which allows him to focus on grassroots and international projects to bolster his education as a coach.
The 63-year-old left Plymouth Argyle in December 2024 after less than a month as Wayne Rooney’s assistant coach.
Phelan’s has coached footballers around the world with his company, including in Singapore.
As seen above, Phelan can also work as a pundit after his many years of service at Old Trafford.
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