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While there was acceptance that Ruben Amorim would need time to oversee the reforms at Old Trafford, few Portuguese coaches foresaw that Manchester United were in a relegation battle within two months of taking the job.
A fourth-straight defeat in their final outing of 2024 means the Red Devils are 14th in the Premier League table and seven points clear of the drop zone.
Their performance on Monday night 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle At no point did it point to a team capable of any kind of revival. However, things could have turned out differently for the hosts had Amorim opted to deploy the 64-year-old midfield pivot against the Premier League’s in-form engine room.
Perhaps the new coach will take solace in knowing that his team at least competed for the final hour against the Magpies, but there is still a feeling that things could get worse before the Red Devils improve.
A busy January is on the horizon with United involved in three competitions. Here is an overview of their next five games.
This is what the doctor ordered…
A desperate trip to the league leaders bodes well for Amorim’s poor outfit, as well Liverpool Entering their opening clash of 2025 in tremendous form. The Reds have a healthy advantage at the summit of the division and have been scoring goals at a relentless rate of late.
They have hit Tottenham for six and West Ham for five in two of their previous three outings. Arne Slott’s side have lost just once in the league all season and will be aiming to put their great rivals to the sword on Sunday.
Liverpool won the reverse fixture 3-0 at Old Trafford while Erik ten Hague was still in town and United have not tasted victory at Anfield since January 2016.
United struggled to lay down the gloves Armory When the two sides met in north London on 4 December, a relatively strong defensive performance was undermined by their inability to contain the Gunners from set-pieces. Jurien Timber and William Saliba were on the scoresheet in a 2-0 victory.
The once bitter rivals meet again in the third round of the FA Cup. With United exiting the Carabao Cup in December and in the middle of their Premier League ceiling, the competition will undoubtedly be of importance to Amorim this term. They are, of course, the holders, and they will certainly face off against a Gunners side on a roll at the Emirates.
However, they could have done with an easier draw.
After visiting two of the toughest grounds in the country, United are given some relief by facing Southampton at Old Trafford.
The Saints are the division’s bottom dwellers, but they look a bit tighter with the disciplinarian Ivan Juric at the helm. The new manager’s reign has started with two narrow defeats, but there is reason for optimism.
A potential banana skin for United in this form.
Joao Pedro scored late on to give Brighton a memorable 2-1 win in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. That victory came amid a supreme opening for the Seagulls, but Fabian Herzeler’s side have struggled to win games of late.
Their last win came on November 23 – United have won a game since then (to be exact) – but they have done well without much reward. Brighton’s performance in their draw for the 2024 final points to a team capable of making a run in the new year. They should be healthy by the time this fixture rolls around too.
Man Utd’s third consecutive home fixture in the Europa League comes against British opposition. Amorim secured wins over Bodo/Glimt and Viktoria Plzen earlier in his tenure to leave United in the top eight of the league stage table.
However, they will be usurped if they are beaten by Rangers at Old Trafford. This will be only the fifth competitive meeting between the two clubs.
The Scots are just one place and a point behind United in the table, who drew with Tottenham at Ibrox in their previous outing. This is the final matchday of the preliminary stage, and United will be keen to avoid playing two extra games to reach the round of 16.
