Ruben Amorim might have made his first mistake at Man Utd, a worrying pattern on show vs Spurs

Add as preferred source on Google

The results might have been a bit up and down but holistically, Ruben Amorim has been nearly flawless as a Manchester United manager so far.

However, after the Tottenham game, the word “nearly” looks like a necessary qualifier instead of talking in absolute terms.

Altay Bayindir had a nightmare goalkeeping display vs Spurs, arguably responsible, directly or indirectly, for three of Spurs’ four goals and just generally looking like a level below what’s required to play at this level.

Selling Matej Kovar and buying Bayindir already looks like a mistake but Ruben Amorim wasn’t here for it. He wasn’t even “culpable” for playing Bayindir here, as both Erik ten Hag and Ruud van Nistelrooy gave him the League Cup games before Amorim.

However, a worrying pattern on show vs Spurs did show that Amorim might have made his first mistake as Man Utd manager.

Worrying pattern for Ruben Amorim at Man Utd

Amorim was always going to come in with a lot of credit not just because of his exploits with Sporting, but because of how badly Erik ten Hag’s tenure had soured.

Still, the euphoria of the new manager was only going to last for so long before he was judged on results and performances.

United have aced the performance part of it so far and with marquee results like the Manchester derby victory, there is a hope and optimism wave around the club.

Amorim has been credited with refreshing the culture and rebooting the culture at the club with large-scale changes almost immediately upon arrival.

The Marcus Rashford situation is a big example of a change done right but a pattern is emerging after the Spurs defeat that hints towards one change going wrong too.

Altay Bayindir’s poor performance continued a trend under Amorim of goalkeepers letting themselves down with individual mistakes and unforced errors.

Bayindir didn’t cover himself in glory but it’s not like Andre Onana has set the world alight under Amorim, being bailed out by his team on multiple occasions in just eight games under Amorim.

There was no bailing out vs Arsenal and the individual mistakes which looked like he’d left behind after his debut season have started returning.

The fall in form of both goalkeepers has coincided with one change Amorim initiated at Old Trafford.

Amorim’s first mistake?

A full overhaul of Man Utd coaching staff was ushered in by Amorim upon arrival as the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rene Hake, and Jelle ten Rouwelaar were replaced by Amorim’s trusted lieutenants.

Coincidentally, Onana was in the form of his life under Erik ten Hag when Jelle Ten Rouwelaar was the goalkeeping coach.

He has been replaced by Jorge Vital, Amorim’s goalkeeping coach who’s been with him for a long time, with Rouwelaar joining the Leicester City staff to work with Van Nistelrooy.

The Dutch goalkeeping coach was a highly-rated arrival for his work in transforming the players between the sticks with his holistic coaching that suited the modern era.

Van Nistelrooy recently hailed his impact at his new club too, pointing out the same fact about Onana.

He said: “He worked with Onana at United and I think he was in the best form of his life in the months he worked with Jelle. He’s a fantastic addition to the team. He’s not only improving the goalkeepers and playing out, but the players around the keeper to do better.

“He’s worked with young talented goalkeepers and made them improve to the highest level. Of course, you need everyone to be involved in playing out from the back, and that whole process he’s great at.”

Of course, eight games are too small a sample size to make clear conclusions and hail Rouwelaar as a magician and Vital as a failure but the early signs are telling.

That is something Amorim will undoubtedly start keeping an eye on if it continues any longer.