WHEN RUBEN AMORIM confirmed earlier this week that Manchester United would exercise the one-year option on Harry Maguire’s contract, the head coach spoke about the need for the 31-year-old to “improve as a leader” because “when you look at our team, we are starving for leaders on the pitch.”
Just what you want to hear a few days before a trip to Anfield to face a rampant Liverpool.
Most of those supporters in the away end will travel in hope and expectation – hoping to avoid another humiliation and expecting a miserable experience.
England’s two most successful clubs could not be in more different places right now.
Liverpool can extend their advantage at the top of the table to eight points with a win over their great rivals today.
Any other result against the side 14th in the table, who have lost six of their last eight games and not won at Anfield since 2016, will not just be a shock, but a missed opportunity after Arsenal’s draw with Brighton yesterday.
Liverpool have two games in hand on the Gunners and victories in both will open up an 11-point cushion.
For United, the infamous 7-0 humiliation in March 2023 remains fresh in the memory, but they did finish eight points ahead of Liverpool that season and that is an indication of how quickly fortunes can change in football.
Incredibly, though, United have scored just one goal in their last nine visits to the red half of Merseyside.
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Arne Slot has so far succeeded Jurgen Klopp with ease, yet there have still been considerable issues that he’s had to contend with.
Unlike United, however, Liverpool actually seem capable of dealing with drama like grown-ups.
Mo Salah is having one of his best seasons at a time when he’s openly providing updates on the lack of progress with a new contract and making it clear and exit is on the cards.
Real Madrid have reportedly made their first approach for Trent Alexander-Arnold during this January transfer window, despite the player’s contract running out in the summer and the inevitable free transfer to the Spanish capital.
Even Virgil van Dijk’s current deal expires in six months.
Yet, despite uncertainty around three of the most influential players, performances on the pitch have not been affected.
Liverpool are on course to match United’s record of 20 English league titles and their focus has not wavered with that milestone in their sights.
Conversely, issues of a similar nature at Old Trafford just add another layer of distress.
Marcus Rashford is unlikely to be included in the United squad today as illness forced him to miss training this week. As detailed by The Athletic, the 27-year-old has also endured bouts of sickness at various stages.
He openly expressed his desire to leave the club in an interview conducted a couple of days after Amorim left him out of the squad for the recent win over Manchester City and challenged him to fight for his future.
Luke Shaw, the club’s longest serving first-team squad player in his 11th season, was the source of ire among many fans when a TikTok video surfaced online earlier this week showing him lip sync a song with the lyrics “Your mum’s on benefits.”
It’s only when you read that paragraph again that you realise how ridiculous it all sounds. The anger, perhaps, stems from the fact that it’s an experienced player who has spent the majority of this season unavailable due to injury.
It also comes at a time when there is talk about a relegation battle, while INEOS’ cost-cutting led to 250 redundancies last year.
Shaw is an obvious poster boy for the wasted years since Alex Ferguson’s retirement. The drop in standards across the board and lack of coherent leadership on and off the pitch is clearly evident.
Amorim is at the very start of his tenure and INEOS – not to mention the United fans – will be clinging to the hope that things are going so badly right now because they are indeed at the start of the “open heart surgery”, as former interim boss Ralf Rangnick put it, and this is a necessary pain for a proper long-term recovery.
This week’s decision to keep Maguire highlights the need for Amorim to be pragmatic.
Maguire, of course, is a former club captain at Old Trafford. He was stripped of the armband by previous boss Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2023, when United were actively trying to sell the defender before a deal with West Ham United broke down.
If he does indeed see out the full length of his extended stay it will mean Maguire will have spent seven seasons in Manchester.
He was a €90 million (£80m) signing from Leicester City in 2019 but after starting just eight times for United in the 2022/23 campaign a fresh start seemed inevitable.
United’s situation means he will now likely play a central role in the latest fresh start at Old Trafford. Amorim today they will be braced for familiar pain at Anfield.
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United braced for familiar Anfield pain as Amorim plays long game for change
WHEN RUBEN AMORIM confirmed earlier this week that Manchester United would exercise the one-year option on Harry Maguire’s contract, the head coach spoke about the need for the 31-year-old to “improve as a leader” because “when you look at our team, we are starving for leaders on the pitch.”
Just what you want to hear a few days before a trip to Anfield to face a rampant Liverpool.
Most of those supporters in the away end will travel in hope and expectation – hoping to avoid another humiliation and expecting a miserable experience.
England’s two most successful clubs could not be in more different places right now.
Liverpool can extend their advantage at the top of the table to eight points with a win over their great rivals today.
Any other result against the side 14th in the table, who have lost six of their last eight games and not won at Anfield since 2016, will not just be a shock, but a missed opportunity after Arsenal’s draw with Brighton yesterday.
Liverpool have two games in hand on the Gunners and victories in both will open up an 11-point cushion.
For United, the infamous 7-0 humiliation in March 2023 remains fresh in the memory, but they did finish eight points ahead of Liverpool that season and that is an indication of how quickly fortunes can change in football.
Incredibly, though, United have scored just one goal in their last nine visits to the red half of Merseyside.
Arne Slot has so far succeeded Jurgen Klopp with ease, yet there have still been considerable issues that he’s had to contend with.
Unlike United, however, Liverpool actually seem capable of dealing with drama like grown-ups.
Mo Salah is having one of his best seasons at a time when he’s openly providing updates on the lack of progress with a new contract and making it clear and exit is on the cards.
Real Madrid have reportedly made their first approach for Trent Alexander-Arnold during this January transfer window, despite the player’s contract running out in the summer and the inevitable free transfer to the Spanish capital.
Even Virgil van Dijk’s current deal expires in six months.
Yet, despite uncertainty around three of the most influential players, performances on the pitch have not been affected.
Liverpool are on course to match United’s record of 20 English league titles and their focus has not wavered with that milestone in their sights.
Conversely, issues of a similar nature at Old Trafford just add another layer of distress.
Marcus Rashford is unlikely to be included in the United squad today as illness forced him to miss training this week. As detailed by The Athletic, the 27-year-old has also endured bouts of sickness at various stages.
He openly expressed his desire to leave the club in an interview conducted a couple of days after Amorim left him out of the squad for the recent win over Manchester City and challenged him to fight for his future.
Luke Shaw, the club’s longest serving first-team squad player in his 11th season, was the source of ire among many fans when a TikTok video surfaced online earlier this week showing him lip sync a song with the lyrics “Your mum’s on benefits.”
It’s only when you read that paragraph again that you realise how ridiculous it all sounds. The anger, perhaps, stems from the fact that it’s an experienced player who has spent the majority of this season unavailable due to injury.
It also comes at a time when there is talk about a relegation battle, while INEOS’ cost-cutting led to 250 redundancies last year.
Shaw is an obvious poster boy for the wasted years since Alex Ferguson’s retirement. The drop in standards across the board and lack of coherent leadership on and off the pitch is clearly evident.
Amorim is at the very start of his tenure and INEOS – not to mention the United fans – will be clinging to the hope that things are going so badly right now because they are indeed at the start of the “open heart surgery”, as former interim boss Ralf Rangnick put it, and this is a necessary pain for a proper long-term recovery.
This week’s decision to keep Maguire highlights the need for Amorim to be pragmatic.
Maguire, of course, is a former club captain at Old Trafford. He was stripped of the armband by previous boss Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2023, when United were actively trying to sell the defender before a deal with West Ham United broke down.
If he does indeed see out the full length of his extended stay it will mean Maguire will have spent seven seasons in Manchester.
He was a €90 million (£80m) signing from Leicester City in 2019 but after starting just eight times for United in the 2022/23 campaign a fresh start seemed inevitable.
United’s situation means he will now likely play a central role in the latest fresh start at Old Trafford. Amorim today they will be braced for familiar pain at Anfield.
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