Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen is feeling bullish about Ruben Amorim’s chances of success this season.
After an underwhelming start to the season, an unbeaten run of four matches has lifted Manchester United up to eighth in the Premier League table.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 6 |  TottenhamTottenham | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| 7 |  ChelseaChelsea | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 17 |
| 8 |  Manchester UnitedManchester United | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 1 | 17 |
| 9 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 16 |
| 10 |  BrightonBrighton | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 15 |
Given that Ruben Amorim is expected to qualify for Europe this season, it seems that United are nothing more than on track, but additional context reveals that the Red Devils are only two points off second.
Amorim was given a 1% chance of winning the Premier League title at the start of the season, but all of a sudden, there is a growing feeling of optimism about what is possible in 2025/26.
Winning the title certainly seems like an unrealistic expectation in what is Amorim’s first full season, but Rene Meulensteen is not ruling it out.
Rene Meulensteen names Man United as ‘dark horses’
Despite dropping points at the City Ground, Amorim is setting a positive tone about United’s performances this season by pointing out the drastic improvement on 2024/25.
It is undeniable that Amorim and his players have made progress this season, and the unpredictability of the Premier League has had some questioning United’s involvement in a title race.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Meulensteen said: “I was a bit bold a few weeks ago and said Manchester United, after their three consecutive wins, I thought they could be a dark horse chasing from behind.
“They were only six points behind. The reason I said it is because when momentum turns, then things fall into place.
“But I did expect them to beat Nottingham Forest. I didn’t expect them to lose points there.
“That does throw a spanner in the works. If they beat Forest, I thought they had a good chance at beating Spurs before the international break.
“Because United don’t have midweek games, they don’t have to rotate and can keep everyone fit – they are my reasons behind it.”
Let Man United fly under the radar this season
There is always a huge media spotlight on anything United do, and Amorim has had to learn that in his first year.
But after a disastrous 24/25 campaign, expectations around United were extremely low. Rio Ferdinand predicted an eighth-placed finish, while Ben Foster’s prediction was even lower.
That lack of expectation around United has allowed them to adopt an underdog status this season, and that suits Amorim and his squad perfectly.
The Red Devils have been going about their business quietly – beating Chelsea, Liverpool and giving leaders Arsenal their toughest game of the season.
Amorim had the toughest start of any manager in the Premier League this season, and yet he has kept United within touching distance of the leaders.
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