The Ruben Amorim era at Manchester United has not begun how the club, its owners or the manager himself would have hoped.
There have been bright moments since the 40-year-old Portuguese was appointed to replace Erik ten Hag on November 1 – a dramatic Manchester derby victory at the Etihad in December, an FA Cup shootout victory over Arsenal and a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in January.
But United have scarcely improved thus far in Amorim’s tenure. They currently sit 14th in the table, almost certain to record their lowest finish of the Premier League era and with the long shot of a Europa League triumph their only faintly realistic avenue to securing European football next season.
There should be some sympathy for Amorim, though.
He has inherited a squad of substandard players on overvalued deals who are not only underperforming but, for the most part, will be difficult to move on, too, as he looks to reshape the team in his image.
Criticism of his stubborn adherence to a 3-4-3 system is not without basis, but Amorim clearly has a plan for how he wants his team to play.
And with the 2024/25 season already a write-off, he must use the remainder of the campaign to assess which of his current players he can build around from next term and beyond.
But who should be the pillars of Amorim’s United rebuild?
Bruno Fernandes
This is the obvious one. Fernandes has his critics. Former Old Trafford captain Roy Keane has recently offered a scathing appraisal of the current United skipper’s leadership, for example.
But without Fernandes this season, United would be mired in a relegation scrap. He is the club’s most – and perhaps only – truly successful signing since Sir Alex Ferguson retired almost 12 years ago.
Since United paid £60 million to sign Fernandes from Sporting CP in January 2020, he has been directly involved in 109 Premier League goals (61 goals, 48 assists). Only Mohamed Salah (177) and Son Heung-min (124) have registered more goal involvements in that time.
"We need more Brunos, that is clear," Amorim said after Fernandes’ stunning free-kick earned United a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford last weekend.
"It's not just the quality and the character. He makes some mistakes, but he is so decisive with and without the ball.
"He steps up all the time. He can show some frustration in some moments that can hurt him more than everyone. I understand that. He wants to win.
"But he is always available, can play in different positions and when we need a goal and an assist he is always there."
Amad Diallo
Another easy pick and a player United have desperately missed since he picked up an ankle injury in mid-February that is likely to have ended his season – Amad was the shining star of Amorim’s first months at the Old Trafford helm.
Whether deployed as a wing-back or in a more familiar role as one of the two inside-forwards in the three-man frontline, the 22-year-old Ivory Coast international was consistently dynamic, creative and threatening while those around him flattered to deceive.
Amad’s six goals and six assists in the Premier League this term puts him second only to Fernandes in both categories – the Portuguese playmaker has seven of each – and he has provided many of the individual highlights of United’s otherwise drab campaign, such as late goals at the Etihad and Anfield and his hat-trick against Southampton.
Manuel Ugarte
The United player most familiar to Amorim, Ugarte shone under the Portuguese tactician for two seasons at Sporting, where his performances earned a €60 million move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
The Uruguayan destroyer has the requisite combativeness, athleticism and sound decision-making in possession to thrive in one of the crucial two central midfield roles in Amorim’s system.
Under Amorim in the 2022/23 season, Ugarte ranked first among midfielders in the Primeira Liga for tackles and passing accuracy and second for interceptions and ball recoveries.
He has looked a solid addition to United’s middle third and he will be key to Amorim’s vision being realised at Old Trafford over the coming seasons.
Leny Yoro
He has only made seven Premier League starts, but 19-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro has displayed enough of the talent that convinced United to pay an initial £52 million for him last summer that he should be considered a pillar of their rebuild.
United surprised many when they were able to fend off rival interest from Real Madrid to land the Frenchman from Lille. And while he is understandably still far from the finished article, he has the pace, anticipation and quality on the ball to develop into a true star in his position.
Amorim has been impressed with what he’s seen from Yoro.
"He is really fast, a modern defender,” he said and the young defender was nearing a United debut in December after suffering a broken foot in pre-season.
“He will be good when we want to press high and you leave a lot of strikers in this league one against one, he can manage that. He is very good with the ball so I am very excited.”
The admiration, it appears, is mutual, too.
“Tactically he is top,” the French teenager told United’s official website. “We don’t have too much training to learn everything, but he tries to give us everything before the game to be 100 per cent the best version of the team. We know he is with us and we are with him, so it’s good.”
Kobbie Mainoo
There was a report last week that Mainoo will resists offers of a new contract at Old Trafford in favour of exploring a move abroad.
This comes after the 19-year-old England midfielder was reportedly made available for transfer in January amid United’s financial struggles.
And Amorim doesn’t seem completely enamoured with the Carrington academy product, having moved him into an advanced role recently after lamenting the youngster’s inability to defend sufficiently as a central midfielder.
But a continuation of the club’s deep connection with its academy has to be a key facet of United’s future planning. Marcus Rashford already seems to have played his last game for the club and Alejandro Garnacho was close to an exit for Napoli in the mid-season window.
Mainoo is an impressively accomplished player for his age, having starred for United last term and then with England at the Euros last summer. Players of his calibre and future potential don’t come along often, even from United’s historically productive academy.
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