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Manchester United legend Lee Sharpe has indicated that Ruben Amorim has a lot more time than he realises to get things back on track at the club.
Amorim has endured a difficult start to life at United since replacing Erik ten Hag in November last year, overseeing just five wins in 17 Premier League matches, while suffering eight defeats in the competition.
Earlier this year, Amorim branded the current crop of players as perhaps the “worst ever” in United’s extensive and illustrious history. He also insisted that despite maintaining the belief he is still the man to turn things around at Old Trafford, results will ultimately decide his fate.
Before United’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, Amorim told reporters that he doesn’t expect to be afforded as much time to rebuild his team as Mikel Arteta had. Arteta finished eighth and fifth in his first two full seasons in charge at the Emirates, having arrived in December 2019.
Despite challenging for the title in 2023 and 2024, the Spaniard is approaching five years without a trophy, with the club having not won silverware since lifting the FA Cup in 2020. Amorim has been tasked with a similar rebuilding job at United but he cast doubts that his bosses will show him the same patience Arteta was given at Arsenal.
However, in his sit-down with The Times on Monday afternoon, United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was hugely complimentary of Amorim, insisting he has done a fantastic job under the current circumstances.
Now, Lee Sharpe has emphasised that Amorim will indeed be given more time than he thinks to get things right.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Peoples Person, hosted by BetBrain, Sharpe remarked, “I think he’s got longer than he thinks.”
“I think he’s at least got a couple of years. Already, I’ve seen the INEOS interview and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said he’s already happy with him and happy with what he’s done with the team, with the players he’s got at the moment.”
“I think once he’s had a transfer window in the summer and he’s had a pre-season with the players, I think we’ll see a big improvement at the start of next season and then I think with another window next winter and another one at the end of next season, I think the season after they should start pushing for top four and looking at threatening for the title.”
“So I think he’s got the rest of this season, another season and I think it’ll depend on where he is halfway through what will be his second full season -third year for him. So I think he’s got at least until then and then obviously if things will be how they are, then he’ll struggle to keep his job but I think he’s got plenty of time now.
Asked whether a top-four finish is a realistic target for the 2025/26 campaign, Sharpe answered, “They’re a million miles from it at the moment. I think it depends on how the transfer window goes in the summer. It depends on who they can offload, who they can bring in, how strong the squad is, how deep the squad is because they play a lot of games and Amorim’s system means that people work extremely hard and some people get injured and suspended, so they’ll need a deeper squad.”
“But if they can buy some key players and get some of the wage bill, then there’s no reason why they can’t be challenging for top four or top six next year, without a doubt.”
United are currently languishing in 14th place in the top-flight standings, with a mere 34 points gained from a possible 84.
Amorim and his men are back in action on Thursday when they face Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Carabao Cup round of 16 fixture.
Featured image Jan Kruger via Getty Images
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