Ruben Amorim walked up and down the technical area trapped in what should be felt like a recurring nightmare. Faced with him, an eighth defeat in the last 12 Premier League games took place before his eyes when a Manchester United team patching went to Tottenham on Sunday.
Behind him on this occasion, he sat a bank full of teenagers who felt they were too young and inexperienced to make a difference.
While the dust settled in the last setback of his problematic spell as a chief coach, Amorim left United 1-0 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium hit but still without hesitation. “What you see and discuss every week, I also see,” he said. 'I have many problems. My work is very hard here, but I stay with my beliefs. I understand my situation, but I have confidence in my work.
The message of Amorim remained clear: it will not commit to its football principles, it even faced the worst record of United after 25 league season games since the club was relegated in 1974.
However, although they refuse to shudder, some players begin to lose faith in the Amorim system as the results and yields continue to suffer. The 40 -year -old can still have his support, but confidence in his methods is inevitably beginning to decrease.
It is understood that the discontent group believes that even when United wins, it is largely due to individual times of quality or good fortune instead of a tactical triumph.
Ruben Amorim's message remains clear: it will not shudder in its principles in Man United
Amorim faces United's worst record after 25 league season games since the club was relegated in 1974, with its Red Devils languishing in 15º after the defeat against Tottenham
“The feeling is:” We go out with yours, but we may not be so lucky next time, “says a source of costumes to Mail Sport.
That was especially true after the AF cup against Leicester City earlier this month, when Harry Maguire's winner against his former club at the detention time sent United.
He reached the late goals in five more of the nine wins of Amorim as head of United against Viktoria Plzen, Manchester City, Southampton, Rangers and Fulham. He could not even celebrate after Leicester game.
To be fair with Amorim, he has never claimed to have deciphered him since Erik Ten Hag happened. On the contrary, in fact. It approaches what remains of a miserable season using words such as 'survival' and 'suffering'.
In the Spurs on Sunday, he talked about 'finishing the season and starting again'.
Let's not forget that this is a coach who would have preferred to wait until summer to join United from Lisbon Sporting, and there must be occasions when he wanted to have been able to do that precisely.
Meanwhile, the debate will continue on whether Amorim could be more flexible in his system, to help players. The feeling between some is that it simply does not adapt to the current squad, and the commitment is the only answer.
It was a point made by Micah Richards when he analyzed the devotion of Amorim to a background of three in the game of day 2.
Amorim has not claimed to have deciphered the code and did not want to take charge until summer
There is a feeling among some of the Manchester United team that the system does not adapt
“It is very difficult to adapt when you have been playing in a four to enter three, but as a manager you should also be able to adapt,” said the former defender of England. 'Sometimes you have your way of playing, but can you adjust small things so that players are more comfortable?
“You have to continue with its principles and tactics and take it to the next season, but it is united and we expect results now.”
Richards also highlighted the disconnection in the midfield that left great gaps between Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, and so disgusted expert at the Sky Sports Gary Neville about Amorim's tactics. “Break all the rules of football, it is absolute madness,” the former United Neville captain smoked. “The structure of the team is horrible, you would not see this in football under 9 years.”
There is no suggestion at all that United is hesitation in its support to Amorim, but the great test will come at the end of the season when they need to support it in the transfers market.
After having delivered ten hag other £ 200 million last summer, the club fired it and sports director Dan Ashworth. Transfer and compensation spending payments exert pressure on the Limited United Budget that still has a coup effect in terms of cost reduction and more dismissal of the staff.
It meant that Amorim was restricted to sign Patrick Dorgu in the January window, but there will be a little more margin in the summer despite its admission that you will have to sell before you can buy.
United has trimmed a significant amount of the salary invoice when sending Marcus Rashford and Antony on loan, and will expect to continue that trend with the tastes of £ 375,000 per week Casemiro, although the 32 -year -old player said yesterday an interview in Spain He is in no hurry to leave Old Trafford. “I have a year and a half in my contract and I would like to fulfill it here in Manchester,” he said. 'I feel comfortable here and also my family.
'I am very grateful to Old Trafford fans and the club. I'm happy. I am young and I still have a lot of life.
Gary Neville became furious for Amorim's tactics in the Spurs, arguing that “he broke all football rules”
Man United will continue to suffer and I hope the best times are just around the corner next season
I have to keep doing what I am doing. I would like to play more, of course. I don't know any player who doesn't want to play and help. I would like to help the club at this time.
Assuming United Keep faith in Amorim, do you trust him with his transfer kitten to begin reconstructing the team and signing players who adapt better to their specific system when there is always a risk that they can have to change direction Again in the future?
“They are kilometers from that,” Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports. “They need seven or eight players to change.”
Until then, United will continue along the same path of survival and suffering with the hope that better times are just around the corner. Amorim is not to turn.