Ruben Amorim’s first summer transfer window with Manchester United is fast approaching and fans are desperate to see a change.
Supporters have commented on the club’s downhill spiral since the exit of former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, acknowledging instability shown through the 10-year history of United’s summer transfers.
Sky Sports journalist Jack Wilkinson said: “I just think they’re paying the price for chopping and changing managers and then buying players who suit that manager.
“Then a new manager has to come in and deal with players that aren’t necessarily to their style.
“There is no top-down direction, as to the direction the club’s going in, that is irrespective of who the manager is.
“So, they really struggle and when you add in the figures, Man United always have to pay more, that’s why they’ve spent hundreds of millions.”
Over a 10-year span, Manchester United have hired and sacked four managers with the current manager, Ruben Amorim, making the hired total five.
Over the summer transfer window, from 2015/2016 to 2024/2025, the club has spent a total of £655,143,705 on their most expensive players, for each year: Jose Mourinho spent the most, £218M, over a period of three years and Erik ten Hag follows, with £204M.
Wilkinson said: “I think the club has obviously focused on getting new talent in which is obviously great but there’s no foundation around that and there is a big weight of expectation at Man United.
“There’s just too much change and instability at Manchester United. I think the biggest obstacle has been sacking managers prematurely.
“I mean with Ten Hag it was probably the other way around, they probably should have sacked him sooner, but you do wonder, you can’t just keep sacking managers and expecting it to get better.
“This is probably the worst season ever and the team is full of players that haven’t earned the right to be anywhere near the club compared to how it used to be.”
“I wouldn’t say we need a mass overhaul. We probably need a bit more experience like certainly upfront to just take the pressure off the guys like Hojlund and show him how to grow into the shirt of Man United.
“I’d have anyone, anyone really with a proven track record, I wouldn’t go for another young striker – thinking they’re gonna be the best thing in five years when the club needs something now.”
Bruno Fernandes is considered by fans as one of the best value for money players, with a fee of around £54M, the midfielder has been named Player of the Month for a total of five times and made over 200 appearances.
Sports content creator BG, real name Simon Gbeleyi, 21, said: “I feel like the only player that we’ve got real value for money from is Bruno Fernandes.
“After him we’ve kind of just overspent, we’ve not really had a quality signing value for money. It’s frustrating as a fan because when someone signs for your club, you have high expectations however, in recent seasons that hope has disappeared quite quickly and then fans turn on the players.
“I was at the game where Zirkzee got booed off and when the sub was made, the fans were happy, and they cheered.
“Mentally for the players that can’t be easy and, for players outside the club that would probably like to join United, they might be put off from that because there’s so much pressure – performance wise, the social media aspect and the pundits.”
Although the club has experienced one of their worst Premier League performances, currently 14th on the table, fans are sure of Amorim: they believe he has the discipline and hunger to do well.
Gbeleyi said: “I believe in Amorim as a manager. I believed in him after a few games when I saw that he wasn’t a pushover, and I think that’s what we needed.
“It’s funny because he is the youngest manager we’ve had since Fergie but that doesn’t seem to matter, and the players seem to respect him.
“You can tell Ruben Amorim doesn’t take any nonsense. He is very vocal, very passionate, he has a clear view of how he wants the game to be played and if it’s not working, he will make the changes that are needed.
“I feel like given the money, which is the most important thing, he will be able to succeed because if we go into next season with 80% of these players, nothing is going to change. Then people will start saying ‘Amorim out’ but nothing’s changed.”
In January, Manchester United responded to complaints regarding an increase in ticket prices, revealing the Club is experiencing an increase of loss each year which some worry could have a lasting effect.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe made significant changes to save costs including sacking a high number of staff and laying off the Club’s beloved Sir Alex Ferguson from his 2M ambassador role.
Sports content creator Rukiah Ally, 21, said: “I think over the years we are so used to just throwing money at players and sign the big names, people that do not actually fit in the team, people that will not work for us.
“In some cases it works but are they worth that level of price tag? I wouldn’t say so and I think you can see this with Sir Jim Ratcliffe coming in and how we are trying to spend less.
“But whether or not we can do that this transfer window, I’m not sure, we are just going to have to see.
“I mean Mourinho spending the most money, you could say it worked because technically we were second in that season, but that’s definitely our highest finish since Sir Alex Ferguson, so I really don’t know.”
The hugely awaited summer transfer window will open on Sunday June 1, closing Tuesday June 10 and it will reopen Monday June 16 with deadline day on Monday September 1.
Ally said: “I think we used to just go for players who have kind of had their peak and they’ve built themselves up but then they fall off when they come to United.
“It’s just the United curse which we all know. I think definitely we need to go for players who are younger, who can play in the Premier League, are proven and about to get into their prime.
“I think then that’s where we can kind of get the most success, but it does come with the risk of players not being able to continue that performance throughout many, many seasons. But I think that comes with football.”
According to Transfermarkt, in the course of 34 games, United have lost 13 games, drawn 7 and won 14, this upcoming window will be Amorim’s first summer to choose the players that fit his style.
Ruben Amorim, 40, became the manager of Manchester United on November 1, 2024, with a contract running until June 30, 2027.
Feature image via Unsplash
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