After brief respite, Man Utd manager Amorim set for Anfield cauldron
LONDON :Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim would have enjoyed some relative calm during the international break after backing from club co-owner Jim Ratcliffe but will find himself in the Premier League maelstrom once again at Liverpool on Sunday.
Ratcliffe suggested that the under-pressure Amorim should be given the full three years of his contract to turn around United's fortunes despite scant evidence so far suggesting the Portuguese is up to the task.
Victory against the out-of-form reigning champions would mean back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since Amorim took over nearly a year ago.
A meltdown in the Anfield cauldron, however, would call into question the faith of Ratcliffe who appointed former Sporting coach Amorim in the wake of Erik ten Hag's sacking but who has been rewarded with only 10 wins in 34 Premier League games.
Ratcliffe claimed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had a similarly bad start before turning them into consistent title contenders - a comparison that raised eyebrows.
"I understand the sentiment - but if you go through the facts, I don't think it's the right person to draw a comparison with," United's former multiple title-winning defender Rio Ferdinand said on his podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents.
"With Amorim, you look at him and there isn't as much consistency or positives that are coming out of it. I just want to see some consistency of results coming through."
Last season United managed a creditable 2-2 draw at Liverpool - a rare positive in a season of mediocrity.
Amorim was backed heavily in the summer and while there have been signs of an improvement, they are 10th in the table and still struggling to gain any momentum.
While new signings Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have slotted in well, Matheus Cunha is yet to make the impact that was expected after his arrival from Wolverhampton Wanderers and he is yet to score or assist in the Premier League.
"I'm trying as much as possible to adapt, to learn... It's only been two months, but it feels like I've been here for a long time because of the club's current situation," Cunha said while on international duty with Brazil.
He is not the only big-money signing struggling to get up to speed with Liverpool's Florian Wirtz also yet to shine.
The 22-year-old playmaker, who cost an upfront 100 million pounds ($134 million) from Bayer Leverkusen, also has no goals and no assists so far in the Premier League and did not even make the starting line-up in the away defeat to Chelsea.
Wirtz's form will be a worry for Liverpool manager Arne Slot who, after back-to-back Premier League defeats and a Champions League loss sandwiched in between, is experiencing his worst slump since taking over at Anfield.
Liverpool now trail Arsenal by a point and certainly need some inspiration from a player who registered 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen.
Arsenal are away at Fulham in Saturday's early evening game when victory would allow them to open a four-point gap over Liverpool, although they might not start that game at the top.
Bournemouth travel to Crystal Palace earlier when victory would lift them into first place for a few hours at least - a remarkable achievement for the modest south coast club still punching well above their weight amongst England's elite.
The Premier League resumes on Saturday lunchtime with Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou desperate for a first victory as his side host seventh-placed Chelsea.
Postecoglou is winless in his first seven matches in charge since replacing the popular Nuno Espirito Santo and another setback might prove terminal for his City Ground tenure.
Fifth-placed Manchester City host Everton on Saturday, while third-placed Tottenham Hotspur welcome Aston Villa on Sunday.
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