Ruben Amorim’s start at Manchester United is one of the worst in Premier League history, according to statistics.
While Man United might have secured their place in the Europa League final, their domestic misery continued on Friday night with a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The 13-time Premier League champions now sit in 16th position and haven’t won in a league game since March, when they beat Leicester City 3-0.
Amorim was appointed head coach in November after the Red Devils sacked Erik ten Hag following a run of just four wins in their opening nine Premier League games.
But the numbers behind his tenure are less than flattering, with the 40-year-old emulating the Dutchman in stringing together a worse run of results than Gary Neville’s doomed spell in charge of Valencia.
The former defender’s move from punditry to the dugout in Spain is widely regarded as one of the worst managerial spells in football history, with Neville sacked after just four months.
However, in two fewer Premier League matches, Amorim has lost two more games than the retired right-back, with his side scoring fewer goals (30) while conceding more (42) than that Valencia team.
Data from Opta reveals that Amorim has won 24 points in 26 games, averaging a 0.92 points per game ratio.
This is officially the worst record after 26 league games from any manager at the traditional ‘big six’ clubs.
Even more concerning, the Portuguese head coach ratio is lower than Paul Jewell’s 0.94 point per game average during Derby County’s infamous 2007/08 campaign.
Jewell managed 24 winless games at the Rams as they finished the season on just 11 points, the lowest total in the league’s history.
While United won’t drop that far, mostly thanks to a better first half of the season, the current trajectory under Amorim has some fans concerned.
Before moving to Man United, the Portuguese led Sporting Lisbon to five major trophies, including their first league title in 19 years in 2021 and a follow-up in 2024.
He had emerged as one of Europe’s most highly-rated coaches when the Old Trafford outfit paid Sporting a £9.2 million fee to land him and five of his coaching staff last year.
The Red Devils will be forced to head into Wednesday’s Europa League final without a positive result after their 13th top-flight defeat under Amorim, courtesy of Marc Cucurella’s second-half goal on Friday night.
Speaking to press after the game, Amorim said Man United will be ready for the final against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao.
“It’s five days that we have to prepare. With five days, we can rest,” said Amorim.
“With two, what we’ve been through during the quarter-final and the semi-final, it was two days.
“It’s completely different to have five days to prepare. Two days of full recovery, two days to prepare and one to play.”
He continued: “Since day one, the pressure is one I deal with quite well. Also, the players at Manchester United know that.
“In the past, we’ve had some difficulties in the league, but in the final, when you have a final of any cup, we show up. So we are prepared for that.”
The Europa League final presents the only opportunity for Man United to secure Champions League football next season, a glimmer of hope at the end of a difficult season.
While pressure is piling on Amorim, talkSPORT understands he will keep his job regardless of the result in Spain.
