Sports
Man United need to face reality: Amorim is not the club’s biggest issue
It will be little comfort for Ruben Amorim after taking 34 points from his first 33 Premier League games as Manchester United boss, but at least he can say he saw it coming.
The Portuguese coach has made it no secret that his preference was to take the United job in the summer after being identified as Erik ten Hag’s replacement. He didn’t want to be parachuted in mid-season, believing that his appointment in November would create more problems than it would solve. Yet co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the board had other ideas and told Amorim it was now or never.
It was a move badged as an attempt to get a head-start on United’s route back to the top. Nearly a year on, it’s beginning to look like cutting corners, and it will be the manager — as it always is in these situations — who will eventually pay the price.
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The pressure ahead of Sunderland‘s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday — Amorim’s 50th game in all competitions — is now off the scale. Many United fans have already decided that even a positive result will only delay the inevitable and in many ways, it’s a lose-lose situation for Amorim.
Win, and he’s unlikely to get much credit because United should be winning at home to promoted teams like Sunderland — who are fifth on their return to the top flight, with three wins and two draws in their first six games. Lose or draw, and it will be more fuel for the supporters who have already decided he needs to go.
Amorim was surprisingly calm and collected in his news conference after last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Brentford, but he’s smart enough to understand that the opportunity to add context to what’s happening under his watch has been and gone.
He could have pointed out that three missed penalties — two from Bruno Fernandes against Fulham and Brentford respectively, and one from Bryan Mbeumo in the Carabao Cup shootout defeat at Grimsby Town — have put a different slant on the start to the season. Or that individual mistakes — whether Luke Shaw against Manchester City, or Harry Maguire against Brentford — are consistently pulling the rug from under his game plan.
Only Amorim didn’t, largely because he’s realised the only debate that matters now is the referendum on his future. Stay or Go? Amorim in, or Amorim out? Nothing else seems to matter. It was noteworthy that as he spoke in the media theatre at the Gtech Community Stadium, he suggested he was not in a position to “protect himself” in interviews.
Jose Mourinho, one of Amorim’s mentors, had a habit of going down fighting in these situations, taking aim at anyone unlucky enough to drift through his crosshairs. Amorim has chosen a different approach. If anything, he’s dragged the focus back onto himself instead of pointing fingers, and that’s good news for Ratcliffe, who has been at Old Trafford longer and made far more mistakes than his manager.
Amorim would be well within his rights to highlight that last season, after being dropped into the job at an inopportune time, he was forced to throw away Premier League games in an attempt to win the Europa League and get back into the Champions League. Why else would he have started Tyler Fredricson, Harry Amass and Chido Obi in the 4-3 defeat at Brentford on May 4?
Amass made seven first-team appearances last season and is now on loan at Sheffield Wednesday. Chido Obi played eight times, but he’s now back with the academy rather than being part of Amorim’s squad. The game at Brentford in May came days before the 4-1 win over Athletic Club in the Europa League semifinal, second leg. At that point, the only thing worth chasing was the Europa League title.
It’s context that’s missing when Amorim’s league record of 17 Premier League defeats and a win rate of 27.3% is thrown back at him. It’s poor, no doubt, but there are reasons behind it.
1:17
Amorim: Man United played like Brentford wanted us to
Ruben Amorim says Manchester United got sucked into Brentford’s game as they fell to a 3-1 defeat.
Privately, Amorim may well have other gripes. His squad is one that’s still under maintenance after mistakes made when Ten Hag was in charge. United have been clear that they cannot fix every position in one summer, but it’s left Amorim without the energetic midfielder he needs for his 3-4-3 system. Nor does he have a first-choice goalkeeper, with Altay Bayindir, Senne Lammens and Tom Heaton all understudies.
United should be doing better than they are — even Amorim would accept that — but there are limitations within this group of players whoever is in charge.
Not that it matters. Regardless of who the players are or who the manager is, United have to win every week, whoever they play. And there lies the biggest problem Amorim is having to deal with.
The disconnect between the history of the club, the expectation that comes with it and the reality of the situation they find themselves in is huge. United are driven by the idea of where they think they ought to be — not where they should be.
For more than a decade since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, this disconnect has created additional pressure to be successful. The desperation to win, to catch Manchester City and Liverpool, has forced mistakes on and off the pitch, with bad decisions made and money spent poorly. There’s no time for projects and patience. Only chop, change, try again and hope for the best.
Front and centre for it all have been the managers. From David Moyes, to Louis van Gaal, to Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ten Hag, Amorim is the latest to be chewed up in the race to get United back to the top. Don’t beat Sunderland on Saturday and he risks being spat out just like the others.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has announced a major uplift in incentives for Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises, linking financial rewards not only to on-field performance but also to contributions toward cricket development, beginning with the PSL 2026 season.
In an update shared on X on Friday, Naqvi revealed a revised rewards structure under which the PSL 2026 champions will receive $500,000, while the runners-up will take home $300,000, in addition to the official prize money that will be disclosed later.
The PCB chairman also introduced a new category: a $200,000 award for the “Best Franchise Contributing to Cricket Development,” aimed at encouraging long-term investment in nurturing talent and strengthening the sport’s infrastructure.
Naqvi stated that the newly announced prize money for the franchises will come in effect from PSL 2026 season onwards.
“Let’s take Pakistan cricket to new heights,” Naqvi wrote in his announcement
Manchester United are considering a move to bring Scott McTominay back to Old Trafford but could face competition from Arsenal, while Liverpool are interested in activating Antoine Semenyo‘s release clause in January. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
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TRENDING RUMORS
– Arsenal and Manchester United have sounded out a move for Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, TEAMtalk reports. The former United player has enjoyed a career-best spell in Serie A since making his £25 million move last year, most notably winning the MVP award last season as his side lifted the Scudetto. The 28-year-old also scored a stunning overhead kick against Denmark earlier this week to help Scotland qualify for their first World Cup finals since 1998. As such, the player is wanted by a host of Premier League clubs, who would need to stump up at least £70m to secure his services next summer.
– Liverpool are “seriously interested” in Antoine Semenyo, whose £60m release clause becomes active in January, Fabrizio Romano reports. Bournemouth hope they can retain the winger until June, when his release clause drops to around £50m. However, the final decision is likely to be with Semenyo, who may well be the subject of several offers in January. Alongside Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have also been linked with the 25-year-old, who has nine goal involvements in 11 Premier League matches so far this season.
– Manchester United are tracking Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, according to The Times. United view the England international as a potential long-term replacement for Casemiro, who is expected to leave Old Trafford next summer. Anderson has also been linked with Liverpool and Newcastle United, despite recently being valued at around the £100m mark. The 23-year-old has been a standout performer for Forest this season, and has also established himself as a regular starter for England under manager Thomas Tuchel.
– Inter Milan are interested in signing Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in January amid doubts over Yann Sommer‘s future at the club, according to Football Insider. The Argentina international was heavily linked with a transfer back in the summer, but a reported move to Manchester United ultimately failed to materialize. Villa are willing to sanction a midseason exit as long as a suitable replacement can be found.
– Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are concretely interested in Anderlecht midfielder Nathan De Cat, according to Sky Germany. The Belgian giants are holding out for a bid of around €25m, as De Cat is under contract until the summer of 2027. Bayer Leverkusen are also in the race to sign the youngster, who has played 14 times in the league this season for Anderlecht, scoring once. He is also a Belgium under-18 international with four caps to his name.
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Gab Marcotti and Craig Burley react to Napoli’s second Serie A title in three seasons under Antonio Conte.
OTHER RUMORS
– Liverpool are battling to retain England youth winger Joshua Abe, with Arsenal and Chelsea both pursuing the 15-year-old. (Daily Mail)
– Real Madrid and Antonio Rüdiger remain open to extending his expiring contract beyond 2026. However, interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia “remains strong”, while a return to the Premier League also cannot be ruled out. (Sky Germany)
– Harvey Elliott could be on the move in January, with clubs in the Bundesliga and Serie A interested. The 22-year-old is currently on loan at Aston Villa from Liverpool but has played just 97 minutes of Premier League football for the club so far. (Football Insider)
– Bayern Munich have enquired about Nantes defender Tylel Tati, who has a €50m valuation. (Footmercato)
– Tottenham Hotspur have “zeroed in” on Porto forward Samu Aghehowa, who is viewed as the ideal profile of striker for manager Thomas Frank. (TEAMtalk)
– Sunderland have reopened talks to try to sign Matteo Guendouzi from Lazio in January. (Nicolo Schira)
– Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riad could be set for a loan move in January as he looks to rebuild match fitness. (Sky Sports News)
– Crystal Palace want to cut short the loan of Getafe forward Christantus Uche. Uche, 22, joined the Eagles on a season-long loan but the Nigerian international has played only eight minutes in the Premier League this season. (Diario AS)
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Paul Biancardi
Basketball Recruiting
- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Top-10 junior L.J. Smith committed to Ohio State on Thursday, becoming the highest-ranked 2027 prospect off the board.
Smith is the first five-star junior to make a commitment at this point in the cycle.
“I picked Ohio State because it felt like home to me,” Smith said. “I feel like it’s a place where I can succeed and reach my goals.”
In addition to Ohio State, Smith also took visits to Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina this fall, but his relationship with coach Jake Diebler made the difference for the Buckeyes.
“My connection with Coach Diebler is great; he’s a great guy who believes in me a lot,” Smith said. “I noticed he loves to work with his players and help them reach their goals and succeed. Their plan for me is to come in and play the role of John Mobley Jr.”
A 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Lincolnton, North Carolina, who transferred to Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) in August, Smith is ranked No. 10 in the SC Next 60 for the 2027 class. His commitment marks the second consecutive class in which Diebler has landed a five-star recruit, after Ohio State hadn’t landed one since D’Angelo Russell in 2014. Last month, five-star senior Anthony Thompson — ranked No. 13 in the SC Next 100 — picked the Buckeyes over Indiana.
Smith becomes Ohio State’s highest-ranked recruit since Jared Sullinger (No. 2) in 2010.
Playing up an age group with Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit, he averaged 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds last spring and summer, shooting 41.9% from 3-point range.
Smith is one of the better long-range shooters in the class of 2027. He can make shots off the catch and from a rhythm dribble. He displays body balance with vision and positional size, while also demonstrating excellent transition ability with his straight-line driving ability.
What makes Smith particularly hard to defend is he’s equally effective scoring off the ball as he is with the ball in his hands. He moves with purpose off screens with a change of speed and direction, reading his man and squaring up into his shot. When defenders close out hard, he shows instincts to drive it and can finish at the rim against help defense.
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