Ruben Amorim has been nothing but honest during his short time at Manchester United and that has served to endear him to fans despite poor results.
However, sometimes, his honesty takes people by surprise because they’re just not used to seeing managers speak so openly, especially when it comes to criticism of their own players.
Ruben Amorim recently ruffled some feathers when he poured cold water on Antony’s hot start at Real Betis by claiming that it’s unlikely he would ever replicate it in England.
Following those comments, it’s impossible to not feel that United dodged a bullet under Erik ten Hag with a failed transfer worth £70 million!
Man Utd dodged a bullet in 2022 transfer window
The list of transfers under Erik ten Hag can probably be used as a “what to avoid” book for running football clubs, so bad have they aged.
From Antony never looking like a Man Utd player to millions spent on the likes of Casemiro, Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, or Mason Mount, there are more flops than successes.
The result is that United are littered with mistakes in the past that are preventing the club from moving forward without hesitation.
However, Amorim’s comments on Antony take the mind back to the 2022 summer window and a failed transfer that almost got added to this list.
United had agreed a deal worth £70 million with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong, who had become Erik ten Hag’s obsession, but the player ultimately stayed put by rejecting United’s advances.
Nearly three years on from that development, it’s clear he would’ve become another example used by Amorim to talk about physicality.
Frenkie de Jong saved Man Utd from themselves
Ruben Amorim seems to have been successful in identifying something that Ten Hag never did, or perhaps refused to, which is that the Premier League is the most physically demanding elite league.
The likes of Antony, or an ageing Casemiro would never flourish here where the time on the ball is zero and the game is played at a hectic pace.
Somebody like De Jong would have been harried off the ball as he took it from his defenders before he even turned, forcing errors leading to a vicious cycle of low confidence and low performances.
Furthermore, his injury proneness even at Barcelona has aged as a red flag because he would have taken even more knocks in England.
Amidst all the transfers that failed under Erik ten Hag, it’s a damning indictment on the club’s transfer policy that a big success is the one that didn’t happen due to the player rejecting them.
De Jong saved United from themselves, and Amorim is probably thankful for it!
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