Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim, is reportedly considering a major overhaul of his squad after yet another dismal Premier League outing, a sentiment echoed by club legend Rio Ferdinand.
The 40-year-old Amorim, who took the helm at Old Trafford earlier this season, witnessed his team fall to their 17th league defeat following a 2-0 loss to fellow strugglers West Ham United on Sunday.
The result, delivered on home turf, left United languishing in 16th place, a stark contrast to their impressive European form that has seen them storm into the Europa League final after a dominant 7-1 aggregate win over Athletic Bilbao.
Amorim didn’t hide his frustration, calling the performance against West Ham “embarrassing.” And former United defender Ferdinand believes the Portuguese coach is eyeing a dramatic squad revamp.
Speaking on his Rio Presents podcast, Ferdinand suggested Amorim is already contemplating a major clear-out.
“I think he looks around the dressing room and thinks, ‘If I could wave a magic wand, in the next five years at least 50% of this team wouldn’t be here,’” Ferdinand said. “They’re not good enough and they’re not right for the way he wants to play.”
He continued, “I look at him and think that he needs, minimum, two good windows of getting rid of the ones he doesn’t require but also getting in players that he really needs.”
According to Ferdinand, rebuilding won’t be a quick fix. “There has to be a lot of things to go right for us to make a dramatic turn on this. He’s coaching the team to understand what he wants, which has led to him getting terrible results in the Premier League consistently.”
“He needs to recruit dynamic athletes. I don’t want no mavericks, or players that are frilly and can do pirouettes. No, no, people that can run past and over people as well.”
Despite the poor domestic run, Amorim remains optimistic about the future and has hinted that preparations for the summer transfer window are already underway.
“I talk with the board, with everybody and even with the fans in every moments,” he said, signaling a collaborative approach as he looks to rebuild the squad in his image.
