Maybe the most frustrating part is the familiarity. Manchester United entered the 2025/26 campaign with such optimism in spite of last season’s struggles, having recruited with ambition over the past few months, having pledged to turn the ship around.
Ruben Amorim did not look like a man in control or a manager instilled with belief, after the Red Devils crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, defeated by League Two’s Grimsby Town on penalties.
A point from the opening two weeks of Premier League action has left plenty to be desired, but the midweek humiliation has unravelled all the tentative work. One step forward, but United have now fallen down the stairs.
If Amorim is the right man to lead this club back toward the glory days, he must enact drastic change with speed. As strange as it sounds, Saturday’s home tie against Burnley in the top flight carries a considerable amount of weight.
The Portuguese manager, without a doubt, needs to raise his win percentage, currently at the lowliest of lows.
Ruben Amorim vs post-Fergie managers
We’ve been here before. This recycling of first-team coaches at the Theatre of Dreams has yet to bring about the fruits of former successes for Manchester United.
Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the greatest managers in the history of the game, and his influence – or lack thereof – over the past 12 years has been despairingly clear for a fallen giant who have yet to return to the pinnacle in the intervening years.
Amorim arrived with an air of excitement, having crafted a high-octane and exciting outfit in Sporting Lisbon, who are now two-in-a-row Liga Portugal champions.
But it hasn’t translated, not one bit. In fact, Amorim’s 36.4% win percentage across all competitions since leaving his homeland for Manchester has seen him plummet below all the other permanent post-Fergie managers, and given the frustrations and disappointment that come attached with some of those names, this is damning indeed.
Such plain-and-simple evidence plays into the fact that things need to change, and quickly.
Man United boast so much potential; summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, both Premier League sensations last year, are a testament to that fact.
Maybe what INEOS need is a figure in the dugout who knows the division and can bring out such forward players’ potential.
Man Utd shortlist Premier League manager
According to Caught Offside, Manchester United have shortlisted Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola as they consider axing Amorim from his role in the dugout.
Manager Focus
Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner has also been considered for the role, with discussions even taking place for the FA Cup-winning manager, but Iraola could be a shrewder appointment.
It is understood that INEOS will act incisively if need be, and if Amorim fails to showcase some optimism and signs of a resurgence in the coming days, Sir Jim Ratcliffe may well be rewriting the script once again.
What Andoni Iraola would bring to Man Utd
Iraola’s Bournemouth play adaptable and attractive football, and that’s something that Manchester United need if they are to replace Amorim, whose obstinacy in sticking to his 3-4-2-1 formation has seemingly uprooted any semblance of positivity or synergy within the ranks.
Iraola, conversely, is willing to operate through different styles. Balance, energy and an impressive collective understanding all make for staples of the Spaniard’s managerial skill set, and his ability to eke out the best level from his forwards, in particular Dominic Solanke and Antoine Semenyo, suggests he could be the perfect manager to ensure Mbeumo’s attacking quality is put to good use in Manchester.
Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha hailed Iraola for his “incredibly impressive” start to life in the Premier League, and he has sustained Bournemouth’s form across his two seasons at the helm, not just emulating Eddie Howe’s record ninth-place finish in the top flight for the Cherries, but accruing ten more points (56 in total) too.
Semenyo has been crucial in getting the system up and running, having scored two goals and supplied an assist across Bournemouth’s opening two fixtures this season, notching 17 goal involvements across the 2024/25 campaign.
Iraola is the architect of the forward’s success, and he could certainly repeat the trick with the 26-year-old Mbeumo, who is more accurate, more clinical and more rounded in his attacking play.
Bournemouth’s esteemed coach, after all, has been described as “one of the best in the league” by analyst Ben Mattinson.
Matches (starts)
37 (36)
38 (38)
Goals
11
20
Assists
5
7
Shots (on target)*
3.4 (1.1)
2.2 (1.1)
Big chances missed
12
9
Pass completion
78%
74%
Big chances created
11
17
Key passes*
1.2
1.8
Dribbles*
1.9
1.4
Ball recoveries*
4.3
4.1
Tackles + interceptions*
1.8
1.7
Duels won*
6.1
4.7
Semenyo was linked with a £60m move to Tottenham Hotspur before signing a new contract at the Vitality Stadium this summer, with his exploits on the south coast leading analyst Ben Mattinson to hail him as a “workhorse” and a “duel monster”.
However, Mbeumo has demonstrated an even deadlier attacking sense in the Premier League with Brentford, and the comparable right-sided forwards, both with impressive underlying data, also have prolific touches in front of goal, Mbeumo more so.
If anything, United need stability and signs of progress within a structured system that has been proven within the English game.
Sadly, Amorim’s style is anything but that, and change might be required if Old Trafford wishes to return to the glory days.