Ruben Amorim’s struggle for goals not helped by Marcus Rashford’s exile | Jamie Jackson
Ruben Amorim’s struggle for goals not helped by Marcus Rashford’s exile | Jamie Jackson
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Manchester United’s attack needs revitalising but with signings looking unlikely manager’s troubles may well go on. If wags would characterise Manchester United’s visit to Fulham on Sunday as the circus coming to west London, a more sober billing still casts Ruben Amorim as the ringmaster of a club in perpetual chaos, a manager charged with navigating a slew of problems rocking the stability required to revitalise England’s record 20-time champions.
![[Jamie Jackson]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2017/10/06/Jamie-Jackson,-L.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
In midweek the head coach was asked if the storm engulfing United may soon hit worse with “thunder and lightning”. The question followed last Sunday’s morale-sapping 3-1 reverse to Brighton, a seventh defeat of Amorim’s 16 games that had him branding his team as, possibly, United’s poorest ever vintage.
![[Rasmus Højlund struggles during last Sunday’s defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/50f8cb6cf4245c7c8645b429b4d70bb54849e2e9/0_107_6617_3971/master/6617.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
On Thursday came some shelter from the tempest, via a stoppage-time win (just a second at home since mid-December) over Rangers that has United as favourites to secure Europa League last-16 qualification. But in the Premier League Amorim and his beleaguered unit are mired in debilitating mode, having managed two victories in his 11 matches, and sit 13th, with a goal difference of minus five.
Then come the cornucopia of related “challenges”. Foremost is the lack of finance for transfers and the need to sell home-reared jewels such as Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo to generate funds. Bottom line: United have reached the final week of the window and are yet to make any fresh recruitments to aid Amorim.
After Rangers were downed, the Portuguese had to shrug off an inquiry about whether new signings, actually chosen by him, would help. The short answer is a loud “yes”. The longer one would reference how Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos brains-trust forced the 39-year-old to be parachuted in mid-season after warning that the No 1 job would not be there for him to take up in the summer – Amorim’s preferred (and prudent) choice.
