Manchester United supporters’ loud concerns about the club’s lack of movement in the January transfer window became even more justified in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur. There is a prominent belief among the fanbase that United hung Ruben Amorim out to dry by failing to replace Marcus Rashford and Antony this winter.
Rashford and Antony joined Aston Villa and Real Betis on loan, respectively, leaving Amorim’s attack even more threadbare than how he found it in November.
But after an unsuccessful pursuit of Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel over the Bundesliga giants’ financial demands, United decided to stick with their current hand until the summer.
Considering the Red Devils have scored just 28 goals in 25 Premier League games this season, failing to find the net in nine of them, supporters weren’t pleased.
@TheElitePundit went as far as to say the club will end up sacking Amorim before backing him sufficiently, posting on X: “They are going to sack Amorim. Watch. They don’t want to back him.”
Others aired their concerns that the Portuguese head coach would ultimately walk away from Old Trafford after learning the overwhelming task at hand.
@rxnpixels wrote: “Genuinely wouldn’t blame Amorim for walking away tonight. Club is a shambles! He does United a favour and joins mid-season, then this is how Glazers and INEOS repay him….”
@MelbourneBlokee added: “Honestly, Rashford, Antony gone. No signings? If I was Ruben Amorim, hand on my heart, I’d quit. Absolute shambles from top to bottom. Embarrassing from every single person that runs that club..”
@grholmes39 shared: “I cannot believe @ManUtd and Ineos have not backed Ruben Amorim. They’ve screwed him and the fans over. Ruben needs to leave before he’s damaged goods. He’s already starting to show the signs of stress.”
United’s goal crisis was as clear as the glass panes on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium roof this weekend.
Spurs have formed a reputation for struggling to maintain leads over their drought of Premier League home wins, which stretched back to November 3 before Amorim’s misfiring attack came to town.
The run should have continued, and United shouldn’t have suffered an eighth defeat in 14 league games since the 40-year-old arrived.
In the first half, Rasmus Hojlund fired a promising opening directly at Guglielmo Vicario. Shortly after, Alejandro Garnacho, in time and space inside the hosts’ box, blazed over.
After the break, Joshua Zirkzee, who otherwise played well, directed an unchallenged header past the post. I could go on, but it’d likely double the word count.
Externally, no one truly understands how bad United’s financial situation is. It’s not rosy, that’s for sure, but whether the club could’ve afforded to show ambition and add attacking firepower last month remains to be seen.
Amorim only handed 17-year-old academy sensation Chido Obi two minutes in the dying embers of his latest defeat.
If the coming months come too early for an explosive breakthrough, it begs the question where United’s goals are going to come from.
