Three issues Ruben Amorim must address to guide Man Utd back to Premier League elite

The countdown is on for Ruben Amorim’s highly anticipated touchline debut at Manchester United.

Widely regarded as the Red Devils’ potential saviour after over a decade of disappointment and underachievement, Amorim arrives at Old Trafford as one of Europe’s most promising young managers.

It’s up to the 39-year-old to clean the mess left by underperforming former boss Erik ten Hag and steer United back to the Premier League elite.

Fans eagerly awaiting Amorim’s debut can catch all the action live, with coverage available through football on TV, ensuring no one misses a moment of his first game in charge.

Man Utd head to Portman Road to take on newly promoted Ipswich Town on Sunday, November 24, seeking only their second away league triumph in 2024/25.

Travel sickness

United’s dismal haul of one win from their five Premier League road trips this season forms part of the club’s worst-ever top-flight start, contributing to their gut-wrenching 13th place in the standings.

Ten Hag left a wreckage in his wake.

One of Man Utd’s glaring issues is their notorious inability to claim points outside Old Trafford.

A 2-1 defeat at out-of-sorts West Ham United on their last league travel was the final nail in the Dutchman’s coffin as the Red Devils coach.

However, the problem runs much deeper.

United won less than 50% of their Premier League away games last season, picking up just eight victories from 19 (W8, D3, L8).

In addition, they netted just over a goal on average per match.

Nothing has changed this term, with Man Utd averaging 0.5 goals per game across four league trips, barring a 3-0 win against newcomers Southampton.

Lack of creativity

Bruno Fernandes has been the beating heart of United’s midfield since his arrival, but his influence has waned in recent months due to the lack of support from his teammates.

His form has gradually declined in the past couple of seasons.

The ex-Sporting CP playmaker often finds himself burdened with the creative workload, which has exposed the team’s reliance on individual brilliance rather than cohesive attacking play.

According to the Daily Mirror, Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has allowed the 30-year-old to return to Old Trafford early after the Selecao locked down a top-table finish in their UEFA Nations League group.

It should give Amorim additional time to connect with Fernandes, who has often cut a frustrated character this season, highlighted by two red cards in all competitions.

With Mason Mount’s continued lack of match fitness and Casemiro’s see-saw form, Fernandes’ resurgence is crucial to Man Utd’s bid to return into contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Out-of-form strikers

As assessed by Micah Richards on The Rest is Football podcast with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee may not fit into Amorim’s tactical approach at United.

Man Utd splashed out £64 million to sign the Denmark international from Atalanta in the summer of 2023, only for the 21-year-old to flop epically at the Theatre of Dreams.

Hojlund has mustered just 18 goals across 55 competitive appearances for the Red Devils, only bagging one in seven Premier League outings this term.

As for Zirkzee, he has gone ten league games without finding the net since scoring off the bench on his Old Trafford debut against Fulham in August.

With both overpaid strikers failing to live up to expectations, Amorim could turn to Viktor Gyokeres in January to address the team’s scoring woes in the upcoming transfer window.

However, United still have eight Premier League fixtures to navigate in 2024 before turning their attention to the possibility of bringing Amorim’s former protégé to Manchester.

On that basis, one of Amorim’s priorities during his early tenure is to revitalise Hojlund and Zirkzee.