Ruben Amorim says he has “no idea” how long it will take to turn around Manchester United’s fortunes after the club suffered a fourth defeat in five Premier League games against Wolves.
Things got worse last week after a chaotic Carabao Cup quarter-final exit at Tottenham and Old Trafford humiliation at the hands of Bournemouth, sending Tottenham to a third successive defeat.
United captain Bruno Fernandes’ second yellow card changed the dynamic of the game just after half-time, with Matheus Cunha scoring directly from a corner for a shaken Molineux.
Wolves’ star man brought on substitute Hwang Hee-chan in extra time to seal a 2-0 win as Amorim’s 10th game in a row ended with a fifth defeat and left them 14th in the Premier League standings.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Premier League match between Wolves and Manchester United
“Ideas take time.” The United manager said: “I told you earlier that this was going to be a difficult moment, we are far from the end of this moment and that is all that matters.
“We have to keep focusing on the next game.”
When asked how long he thought it would take to achieve his goal, Amorim said, “I don’t know. I don’t know. Instead of trying to understand how long it will take, I just take it day by day.”
“Because it’s really important at this moment to try to improve, try to watch video, use every moment of training and try to get points.”
United are closer to the drop zone than the Champions League places ahead of a chaotic final game of 2024 at home to tip-off Newcastle.
“At this moment, we have to survive and buy time to work on the team,” Amorim said.
“We already knew that. I start this job and you start with a team, new ideas, through many games and tough games with no time to train.
“It’s a long journey, as we said on the first day, because we already knew that. We have to continue, we have to fight these bad moments, because this is part of football.”
He told Amorim that he couldn’t think about European qualification now. “No, we have a lot to do at our club, both on and off the pitch. So let’s focus on every game, every moment and every match. Use every minute of training and every game for the betterment of the team.”
Amorim’s terrible statistics since his start as Manchester United manager
Amorim is the first Manchester United manager to lose five of his first 10 games at the club.
Manchester United have lost four of their last five games in the Premier League. That was as many losses as they had in their previous 15 games (7 wins, 4 draws). In fact, only Everton and Southampton (both nine) have failed to score in more games than seven this season.
Amorim is the first Manchester United manager to lose five of his first ten games in charge of the club in all competitions since Walter Creekmer (6/10) in January 1932.
No team in the Premier League this season has conceded more goals from corners than Manchester United (nine level with Wolves). In fact, this is only the second goal the Red Devils have conceded directly from a corner in the competition since Bournemouth’s Junior Stanislas in December 2015.
Bruno Fernandes is the first Manchester United player to be sent off three times in a season in all competitions since Nemanja Vidic (also three times) in 2008-09.
Manchester United look long term, but problems need to be solved now
Bruno Fernandes was sent off by referee Tony Harrington.
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Adam Bate on Molineux:
The red card handed out to Bruno Fernandes certainly provided some relief, and there was enough tension inside Molineux to believe Manchester United might be able to equalize late in the game. But the 2-0 loss to Wolves was still a surprise.
Another stuttering display, conceding another goal straight from a corner as well as a set piece. United’s focus is now on the long term, but this is something Amorim needs to address quickly to avoid this season going from bad to worse.
When asked how long it would take for his playing principles to take hold, Amorim said he had no idea. In a match that started with both Portuguese coaches adopting a 3-4-2-1 formation, it was the Wolves players who looked more comfortable with that system.
Even when the match was 11 v 11, United lacked agility and moved the ball too slowly against an opponent who started the game in the bottom three. Amorim will be more convinced than ever that a major change is needed next season.
But if United continue to play like this, next season looks a long way off. Newcastle is next, and will play back-to-back away games against Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League and FA Cup respectively. Things may get more complicated before they get better.
