Ruben Amorim is willing to accept
Manchester United's worst finish to a league season for 50 years in order to prepare better for the Europa League.
“Ruben has made it clear to everyone that the focus must now be on the Europa League. There’s no getting away from the reality that this has been a poor season domestically, so to guide the team to a place where they can still qualify for the Champions League is a remarkable achievement," a dressing room insider told
The Mirror.“Winning the Europa League would be huge in terms of what it would mean to the manager - but also in terms of what it would mean when it comes to providing him with the finances to rebuild the squad.”
United’s 2024-25 season has been a paradox: a woeful 14th-place Premier League standing juxtaposed against a commanding Europa League semi-final campaign, highlighted by a stunning
3-0 first-leg win over Athletic Bilbao on May 1, 2025.
Ruben Amorim, the Portuguese tactician who replaced Erik ten Hag in November 2024, is navigating this duality with a clear plan: prioritize Europa League success while instilling pride in a faltering domestic campaign.
With a second leg against Bilbao looming and a Premier League clash at Brentford on May 4, Amorim’s strategy—rotation, resilience, and recruitment—offers a glimpse into United’s future.
The Bilbao Masterclass: A Turning Point?
United’s 3-0 victory at Bilbao’s Estadio San Mamés was a statement, defying expectations against a La Liga side fourth in their domestic table. Casemiro opened the scoring, assisted by Harry Maguire’s audacious wing-back run, before Bilbao’s red card and Bruno Fernandes’ brace sealed a first-half rout.
Amorim, speaking to TNT Sports, called it “the best result because nobody expected this,” but cautioned, “This is not done. The same result can happen at Old Trafford”.
The win, United’s most impressive under Amorim, surpassed their 2-1 Manchester City victory and 4-1 Real Sociedad thrashing.
The Bilbao game showcased Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, with Maguire, Casemiro, and Fernandes guiding the team through a hostile atmosphere.
Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson, on BBC Radio 5 Live, dubbed it “the best I’ve seen Manchester United play under Ruben Amorim”. However, Amorim bemoaned missed chances, “We had the chances to score one more,” reflecting his demand for ruthlessness.
X’s @UtdFaithfuls hailed the “Amorim masterclass,” but @kimischilling warned, “One win doesn’t fix our league form,” capturing fan optimism tempered by realism.
Europa League Priority: A Champions League Lifeline
Amorim’s focus on the Europa League is strategic. Winning the competition, with a final potentially against Tottenham or Bodø/Glimt, offers a £100 million windfall and a backdoor to the 2025-26 Champions League, critical for United’s allure to targets like Matheus Cunha and Jonathan Tah.
United’s path—dramatic comebacks against Lyon (with Maguire’s 121st-minute winner) and a 4-1 Sociedad rout—shows resilience, but Bilbao’s defensive strength made the 3-0 result remarkable.
Amorim admitted, “Winning the Europa League will not solve Manchester United’s problems,” but added it “could change a lot of things in our club”.
A Champions League berth would boost recruitment, as United’s 14th-place status risks deterring stars like Viktor Gyokeres, who favors Arsenal.
Amorim’s caution— “Anything can happen in one game”—reflects Bilbao’s threat, especially with United’s injury concerns (Noussair Mazraoui and Dorgu fatigued). A potential final against Tottenham, with United’s 42-hour rest advantage, is a tantalizing prospect.
Brentford Rotation: Pride Over Points
With the Bilbao second leg on May 7, Amorim plans sweeping changes for Brentford, prioritizing player welfare over Premier League points.
“The first thing is that the players that are in risk to get an injury will not play,” he said, acknowledging the “risk” of rotation but stressing, “We cannot go to a game without thinking we can win”.
Each Premier League position is worth up to £3 million, and with four games left, climbing from 14th could ease PSR pressures.
Amorim’s call for “pride” in domestic games resonates after United’s 1-1 Bournemouth draw, where Rasmus Højlund’s 96th-minute equalizer salvaged a point. His post-Bournemouth critique—“We needed to do better in the final third”—underscored United’s 38-goal league tally, among the lowest in the top half, per The Athletic.
X’s @SkySportsPL praised Amorim’s “honesty,” but @Deji_OoniAbj questioned his squad management, citing 13 losses in 34 games. United’s injury boosts—Amad Diallo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Toby Collyer returning—offer options, but Amorim’s weakened Brentford lineup risks a repeat of their 3-0 Wolves defeat.
Transfer Strategy: Building for 2025-26
Amorim’s Europa League focus dovetails with a summer overhaul, with United linked to high-profile signings. Matheus Cunha’s £62.5 million deal from Wolves is nearly finalized, with Fabrizio Romano noting “excellent connection” between United, Amorim, and the striker, per X’s @ManUnitedZone_
Liverpool’s Arne Slot called Cunha a “classy” addition. Jonathan Tah, Bayer Leverkusen’s free-agent centre-back, is in talks, his aerial prowess a fix for United’s 11 set-piece goals conceded, per Manchester Evening News.
Enzo Kana-Biyik, an 18-year-old striker from Le Havre, has signed, set for a 2025-26 loan to FC Lausanne-Sport, per Mirror.
United’s pursuit of Victor Osimhen (£40 million from Galatasaray) and Liam Delap (£30 million from Ipswich) faces hurdles, with Osimhen leaning toward PSG.
Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich’s left-back, is a “bargain” target at £42 million or free in 2025, per United In Focus.
Outgoings include Rashford, whose Aston Villa loan may lead to a Barcelona move, and Antony, impressing at Real Betis but unlikely to stay. Amorim’s green light to sell six players, including Casemiro and Alejandro Garnacho, aims to fund signings.
Financial and Ownership Challenges
United’s transfer ambitions are constrained by a £1 billion debt and £300 million in transfer fees owed. Jim Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting—450 job cuts, ticket price hikes, and ending Sir Alex Ferguson’s ambassador role—has sparked fan protests, while his plan to sell OGC Nice could fund a full takeover, per Daily Star.
Ralf Rangnick’s critique of United’s £750m spend since 2022, including flops like Antony, underscores the need for smart recruitment, per Manchester Evening News []. X’s @Record_Sport called Amorim’s Europa League focus a hint at a “summer of seismic change.”
Amorim’s Philosophy: Long-Term Vision
Amorim’s tenure, with 14 wins and 13 losses in 34 games, has drawn scrutiny. Richard Keys suggested Gareth Southgate as a replacement, citing Amorim’s struggles, but Amorim’s Bilbao win silenced some doubters. His insistence that “everybody wants to play for Manchester United,” despite no Champions League, reflects confidence.
Amorim’s refusal to confirm Cunha’s deal—“I will not say anything about Matheus”—shows tactical restraint.
His youth focus, seen in Kana-Biyik and Chido Obi-Martin’s squad inclusion, aligns with Ratcliffe’s vision for a squad with resale value.
Amorim’s handling of veterans like Casemiro, whose resurgence scored against Bilbao, and Fernandes, with six assists, balances experience and potential, per FBref. However, Gary Neville’s warning that Liverpool’s title win signals United’s decline as England’s most successful club stings, per Mirror [].
Critical Perspective
Amorim’s plan—Europa League prioritization, Brentford rotation, and summer recruitment—is pragmatic but risky. The Bilbao win, while a high, masks United’s inconsistency, with 13 goalless games and a bottom-half finish looming, per The Athletic.
Rotating against Brentford, just 65 hours after Bilbao, risks further domestic embarrassment, as seen in their Wolves loss. Cunha and Tah could transform United, but Osimhen’s likely PSG move and Davies’ Real Madrid interest highlight United’s weakened pull without Champions League football.
Rangnick’s £750m critique and de Gea’s Antony comments expose systemic issues, from recruitment to culture, that Amorim must address.
Fans on X, like @Utd_Forever7, see Europa League glory as a “reset,” but @Deji_OoniAbj fears Amorim’s inexperience in high-stakes rebuilds. United’s Europa League final push, potentially with a rest advantage, is pivotal, but Amorim’s “pride” mantra must translate to consistent performances.