In his column for The Telegraph, Carragher noted the striking similarities between Amorim’s struggles at United and Potter’s brief spell at Chelsea. Potter was appointed in September 2022 to succeed Thomas Tuchel, but his time at Stamford Bridge has been marred by inconsistency. Chelsea managed just 12 wins under Potter while suffering 11 defeats, leading to his dismissal.
Amorim, who took over from Erik ten Hag in November, had a similarly complicated time. After an initial wave of optimism, United’s form dipped. December was a particularly trying month, with Premier League defeats to Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle. These defeats left the Red Devils languishing in 14th place in the championship.
Carragher expressed concerns over Amorim’s tenure, saying the manager’s arrival was expected to inspire a revival akin to Jurgen Klopp’s transformative impact at Liverpool. However, the reality is much less promising.
The new Potter?
“A big concern as United head to Anfield is that Amorim’s arrival was meant to echo that of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, both in terms of when in the season he took charge, and of the galvanizing impact on players and supporters“wrote the Liverpool legend.
“Currently, Amorim’s reign is more like that of Graham Potter at Chelsea, where the situation had worsened. Five defeats for United in the last six league games is horrible. Even the last win, against Manchester City, was down to a bizarre end to the season rather than an excellent 90-minute performance. Before concluding that this will end the same way for Amorim as it did for Potter, there are a few key differences between Potter’s performance at Chelsea and the situation at United. »
United’s recent performances have reached historic lows. The club have not lost five league games in a single calendar month since 1962, making December a dark time for fans. Additionally, the Carabao Cup elimination against Tottenham marked six defeats in all competitions, a level not seen since September 1930. Additionally, Amorim also became the first United manager in over a century to lose five of his first eight Premier League matches, an ignominious statistic which underlines the scale of the crisis.
