MANCHESTER, England — As Manchester United faces a challenging start to 2025, the team’s head coach Ruben Amorim expresses optimism about the future, despite the club landing in 14th place in the Premier League standings.
The Red Devils endured a disappointing 2-0 loss at home against Newcastle on Monday, marking an alarming trend, as they have suffered five league defeats within a single month for the first time since September 1962. This defeat was their fourth consecutive loss across all competitions, compounding the issues as they have now lost six out of their last eight matches.
In a New Year’s Eve statement on the club’s official social media platform, Amorim shared his enthusiasm for what lies ahead, stating, “I know it will take a lot of hard work from everyone to get there, but I am very excited about where we can go together in 2025.”
The current situation forms part of a troubling decline that ultimately led to the dismissal of Erik ten Hag in October. Amorim’s squad is precariously positioned, just seven points clear of the relegation zone, with the coach acknowledging that avoiding relegation is becoming a palpable concern.
Despite these setbacks, Amorim remains committed to the 3-4-3 formation, even as his players struggle to adjust. “Of course I didn’t choose the players specifically for these positions, but that I already knew,” he remarked, highlighting the challenges of transitioning from a long-established style of play.
Lacking a preseason to effectively implement this significant tactical shift has hampered the team’s progress. Amorim commented on the importance of developing a solid foundation that the players can rely upon, noting, “I think the players are losing everything, the small things that we try to work on in training. After one goal they lose everything because we don’t have the base, we don’t have time to build the base to cope with the difficult moments so it’s really hard at this moment.”
The year kicks off for United with a particularly daunting challenge, as they prepare to take on league leaders Liverpool on Sunday, a match which is widely recognized as one of the fiercest rivalries in English football.
