Manchester United’s recent trips to Liverpool have been gruesome occasions for their supporters. It has been nine years since United last won away at their fiercest rivals and they have failed to score in their past five visits to Anfield, losing 4-0 and 7-0 in that time.
United fans could be forgiven for plunging to new levels of pessimism for this latest mission to Merseyside, given current circumstances. While Liverpool are streaking clear at the Premier League summit via a seamless transition under Arne Slot, United are staring down the barrel of a fifth successive defeat and a seventh in 12 games under Ruben Amorim.
The list of problems undermining Amorim at United is as varied as it is long. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s penny-pinching has irked match-goers, the ostracism of beloved academy product Marcus Rashford has divided the fanbase, while the manager’s tactical overhaul of the team has been anything but seamless. Tension and toxicity are rife around Old Trafford these days. “It seems everything that can go wrong is going wrong,” says season ticket-holder Jimmy McBride. “We’ll have to hit rock bottom at some point.”
Whether that comes at Anfield on Sunday remains to be seen. The signs are ominous. United started the weekend 14th in the table and there has been talk of possible relegation, or at least a battle against it. Some have even suggested Amorim’s job could already come under threat if the slump continues.
“It’s so depressing and there’s so many different things going on at the same time,” says United supporter Si Lloyd. “The finances, the stuff with Ineos, Dan Ashworth’s exit, the Rashford thing … I can understand why a lot of people are upset – I am too. The backdrop of this negative stream of stories off the field paints the picture of a club that’s in a state of complete desperation. It must be an absolute dream for people who hate United and watched us win everything in the 90s and noughties.”
Supporters’ anger boiled over in the 2-0 defeat by Newcastle last Monday. Shorn of the suspended Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, Amorim’s side were listless for the opening half hour and fans let their feelings be known. The substitution of Joshua Zirkzee on 33 minutes was loudly cheered and he was booed as he trudged off.
“Old Trafford is a cauldron of discontent right now and fans’ frustrations are creating a hostile atmosphere,” says Matt Williams. “There’s always going to be toxicity around United when we aren’t winning games but it’s ramped up a bit in recent weeks,” says Sam Jones. “Anxiety and frustration grows with each defeat and while no club has a given right to success, this is a situation many supporters are not used to.”
There is plenty of sympathy for Amorim, albeit many fans took issue with his team selection against Newcastle, as he paired the immobile Casemiro and Christian Eriksen together and picked Zirkzee as a No 10, with Kobbie Mainoo on the bench.
The new manager is wedded to his 3-4-3 system, which was successful at Sporting, although another debate among fans is whether the coach should exhibit more tactical flexibility to stem the tide of poor results. It’s fair to say United have been better in possession under Amorim and they do create chances, but there has been a spate of soft goals conceded via set pieces and individual errors while United look alarmingly blunt up front.
Amorim has called for patience after being parachuted into the middle of a Premier League season at the busiest time following the panicked sacking of Erik ten Hag. But in the age of fan channels and kneejerk takes on social media, such stoicism can be difficult to garner.
Shaun Connolly says: “Logical supporters aren’t going to start blaming Amorim. He’s being asked to put square pegs in round holes after the board backed Ten Hag in the summer. But he’s also made it clear that he has a philosophy and won’t abolish that. So it’s possible that results will continue to be poor.”
Christine Pike says: “I actually think it’s refreshing that he won’t change his formation. The 3-4-3 system has worked for him, it worked for [Xabi] Alonso at Leverkusen, it will work at United given time and the chance to get the right personnel in.”
As the barren post-Ferguson period ticks into a 12th year, a cycle has become clear. Managers tend to last two to three years, occasionally they finish in the top four and win a cup, before a nosedive. Yet for supporters things have never seemed so bleak as they do now, with United facing their first bottom-half finish since 1990, relegation or not.
McBride believes “this has been coming for years” because of a decade or more of mismanagement of the club by the Glazers. United were neglected as rivals modernised, embraced modern scouting techniques and tactics and invested in new facilities. “Eventually it was all going to come tumbling down like a stack of cards,” he says.
United podcaster Ben Pearce, who believes “the core issue lies in mentality”, says: “Ralf Rangnick’s comment about the club needing ‘open-heart surgery’ remains relevant.” For him, the team lacks the pride and fighting spirit that once defined Old Trafford. “While new owners may focus on infrastructure and finances, addressing this deteriorating club culture is crucial for any meaningful recovery. There’s always something negative to talk about involving United and every issue gets magnified. It’s that old saying: hated, adored, never ignored.”
