Ruben Amorim’s start at Man Utd is worst for 93 years… when club secretary had to step in as temporary manager
RUBEN AMORIM must have thought he had cracked it after Manchester United’s dramatic derby win just two weeks ago.
Their late show at the Etihad was a huge boost for morale — and a run of fixtures which looked winnable lay ahead over the festive period.
A tie with inconsistent Tottenham in the Carabao Cup was followed by a home game with Bournemouth and a Boxing Day trip to Wolves.
Yet three straight defeats later Amorim finds himself with an unenviable record.
It was back in 1931 when a United boss last made such a poor start to their reign at Old Trafford.
Walter Crickmer lost six of his first ten in charge of the Red Devils — nine decades later Amorim has “only” lost five of his first ten.
Yet the worry is that dismal record could be about to get worse over the next fortnight.
United tonight host a Newcastle side who are bang in form having won their last three Prem games — scoring 11 goals without reply in the process.
Then they go to runaway leaders Liverpool on Sunday — and can expect no mercy from their bitter rivals at Anfield.
And that is followed by just about the hardest FA Cup third-round tie they could ask for — at another of their traditional rivals, Arsenal.
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As his fellow Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo said at the weekend, the “storm will continue” for a while yet before “the sun rises again”.
Amorim will be hoping that day when the skies start to clear will come quickly.
Who was Walter Crickmer?
WALTER CRICKMER was Manchester United’s long-serving club secretary, who was twice asked to step in as temporary manager.
The first time was in 1931 when he took the reins following the departure of Herbert Bamlett with the Red Devils in danger of relegation.
Despite his difficult start, he led the team to 12th place — steering them away from danger — before standing down in June the following year.
Then in 1937 the man nicknamed ‘Mr Manchester United’ was called on again.
This time he remained in charge for eight years, although the number of games were limited due to the Second World War.
Crickmer joined United in 1919 as a clerk and was on the staff in some capacity for 39 years before losing his life in the 1958 Munich Air Disaster.
When he arrived in Manchester just seven weeks ago today — on a typically wet day in the North West — he knew a huge challenge lay ahead.
Yet it has not panned out how he would have hoped. Maybe the ex-Sporting Lisbon coach deserves some sympathy as he is coming up against teams at the worst time.
Bournemouth arrived in Manchester having won three and drawn one of their previous four matches.
Andoni Iraola’s men had also had a full week to prepare, looking both fresher and more confident in their 3-0 Old Trafford win.
Four days later they went to Wolves to face a side who had been given a fresh lease of life by new coach Vitor Pereira.
The hosts were still on a high after thumping Leicester a few days earlier and took that new-found belief into the clash with United.
And now Amorim’s troops, who sit a miserable 14th in the table, host the Toon who are one of the Prem’s in-form teams.
Three weeks ago the Magpies lost 4-2 at Brentford — a fourth league game without a win. But since they have been outstanding.
It is now four straight wins in all competitions and they are scoring goals for fun.
In Alexander Isak, they have a striker who has become one of Europe’s hottest properties with seven goals in his last six games.
Amorim must find a way to stop the Geordies with skipper Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte both suspended.
Yet sympathy is in short supply given the ruthless nature of the club he has joined.
New minority owner Jim Ratcliffe has shown in the recent months he is not afraid to make changes quickly if he feels it is needed.
And while Amorim needs time to put his stamp on United, they are struggling to do the basics right at the moment.
Twice in the space of a week, they conceded goals direct from a corner — while Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth also scored from set-pieces recently.
Teams have clearly picked it out as a weakness and no doubt Eddie Howe will have done the same ahead of tonight’s match.
Former United captain Harry Maguire admits it is costing his team right now and is overshadowing the good work being done by Amorim and his coaches.
The England defender said: “Since the manager has come in, performances have improved but results really haven’t come with it.
“We’ve improved but we are conceding from set-pieces and conceding the first goal in the game so that’s tough to take.
“In these games they are 50-50 and on a knife edge and you are going a goal down to a set-piece. We’ve not done well enough.
“Winning breeds confidence and at the moment we’re not doing that enough, we’re not getting the right results.
“Every game you’ve got to win and when you don’t there is a lot of disappointment. The outside noise will be loud.
“You have to stay in your bubble, stay focused and look to the next game when it can all change.
“It’s a huge privilege and honour to play for this club but it comes with a big responsibility and when you are losing games, it’s not nice.”
Amorim's Maguire backing
By Martin Blackburn
HARRY MAGUIRE has great “belief” Ruben Amorim will “turn around” the Manchester United misery.
Amorim’s start is the worst by any Red Devils boss for 93 YEARS.
He admitted they are in a “survival” battle after Boxing Day’s 2-0 loss at Wolves. United are 14th ahead of tonight’s home clash with Newcastle.
But Maguire said: “I’m sure things will turn around. He knows exactly what he needs to do to get this club back.
“He’s come in and done everything he needs to. He’s really demanding.”
Contrasting Portuguese Amorim and axed predecessor Erik ten Hag, Maguire said: “It’s not like they’re a similar style — they’re not, they are total opposites in terms of what they want and what they demand.
“The transition period is going to be tough — but we all have great belief in the manager and all his staff.”
United looked to be on the right track when they won the Manchester derby 2-1 at the Etihad two weeks ago.
But they have since lost three games in a row.
Defender Maguire, 31, added: “He’s a winner so I’m sure he will be frustrated. He hates losing games — just like all of us players.
“It’s frustrating because we want to win football matches but at the moment, and this season, it’s not been good enough.
“In the difficult moments the senior players have to try to guide them through it. Things will change and they will turn, we just have to fight.”
Skipper Bruno Fernandes, 30, is suspended for the Toon clash after his red card at Wolves — while fellow midfielder Manuel Ugarte, 23, also serves a ban.
In his programme notes for tonight’s game, Amorim said: “What I can say for certain is that it will take time –— but we will improve, I have no doubt about that.
“We are looking to implement a new way of playing — at the busiest time of the year.
“So there are short-term costs for our long-term aims.”