You’d like to think that Ruben Amorim made some kind of stirring speech in the overtures of Manchester United’s Premier League clash against Liverpool.
The Portuguese manager struggled to gel with the stricken Old Trafford squad when replacing Erik ten Hag, whose worn-out system was well past its sell-by date when he was finally put out of his misery in October.
Newcastle United thrashed the Red Devils in their backyard to put the final nail in the coffin in 2024, a fitting and admittedly poignant end to the year. If Amorim believes in such symbolism, he’ll be inspired by his side’s start to January—and then some.
Anfield was silenced through United’s spirit, energy and optimism. The visitors were well worth their point on the fourth and perhaps unlucky not to have struck an incredible victory. Then, latterly, Arsenal failed to topple ten-man Man United in the third round of the FA Cup, with Altay Bayindir starring between the sticks and saving Kai Havertz’s spot kick in the shootout.
16/01/25
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Southampton (H)
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Brighton (H)
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Europa League
Rangers (H)
26/01/25
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Fulham (A)
30/01/25
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FCSB (A)
Oh, there’s a long road ahead, with some important and winnable (quote-unquote) fixtures coming up. Manchester United have restored something that has been lost for quite some time. It’s intangible, something that takes root when individual parts come together to create something more than its 11-man makeup.
Change will be required in some areas, though, with Joshua Zirkzee perhaps already expendable.
Joshua Zirkzee's Man United future
INEOS backed Ten Hag in the summer market, forking out £36.5m for Zirkzee, who had been crowned the 2023/24 Serie A Player of the Year with Bologna.
Bologna qualified for the Champions League and were generally considered a wonderful surprise package, but Zirkzee has found that the pace and intensity in England stands as a stark difference to that of Serie A football.
As such, rumours have already piled up that the 23-year-old is headed for a premature exit, with Caught Offside even claiming that he has informed his agent to search for a new club. There are things to like about the Dutchman but with four goals from 29 matches, he definitely hasn’t been up to speed – quite literally in numerous instances.
Should Zirkzee leave, United will need a replacement, and Amorim seems to have the perfect player in mind.
Transfer Focus
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Man United chasing Champions League star
GIVEMESPORT revealed at the weekend that Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani is at an impasse with Tottenham Hotspur, for Daniel Levy is characteristically hesitant about accepting an obligatory buy option in a loan package stretching to the end of the season.
This could allow Man United – and Juventus who are both actively chasing a move – to steal ahead in the race for the wantaway forward. A loan deal could give the Red Devils some financial breathing room while improving the squad for the business end of the season, though a £50m fee would need to be paid come summer.
It’s all gone a bit wrong in Paris for the France international, but he’s still an immensely talented forward who could thrive in this new Old Trafford system.
What Randal Kolo Muani would bring to Man United
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has already confirmed that Man United have held exploratory talks regarding a deal for Kolo Muani, but as we can see, interest is fierce for his signature and hesitation may be fatal.
Striker Kylian Mbappe hailed Kolo Muani, 26, as the “complete” forward, but with just 11 goals from 54 appearances at PSG since signing, it’s clear that he needs to search for pastures new, unfavoured by Luis Enrique.
Much of his time at the club has been spent on the bench – or coming off it during the second half. Kolo Muani does, though, maintain a fluent positional sense that could see Amorim deploy him across a number of frontline roles, something that could pay dividends for a United side looking to improve their dynamics up top.
Centre-forward
145
50
34
Right winger
20
5
3
Left winger
12
5
1
Attacking midfield
2
0
1
It’s something that has foiled Zirkzee’s early efforts to succeed in the Premier League, for the 6 foot 4 talent is not consistent enough. He’s powerful and able to manipulate the spaces in and around the final third, though it’s clear that United need more energy and Kolo Muani could provide that in an environment that values his skills.
In 2022/23, for example, Kolo Muani scored 23 goals and added 17 more assists for Eintracht Frankfurt, principally fielded as a centre-forward and hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig for being “on fire” in the Bundesliga.
German legend Lothar Matthaus also remarked that he “has the mark of a future superstar” during his time in the country, tearing opponents to shreds.
Zirkzee impressed with his intelligence and link-up play for Bologna last term but he still only scored 12 goals across 37 outings. The Netherlands international isn’t wasteful in front of goal, rather, he struggles to find clear-cut chances with all that regularity.
Of course, we can look at Kolo Muani’s numbers in France and surmise that United would be taking something of a risk, bringing him over the Channel.
But this is a player who tore German football to shreds when he was valued. The Frenchman’s energy and pace is exactly what Amorim’s system needs, still ranking among the top 12% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
The time is now. Sir Jim Ratcliffe won’t want to watch Kolo Muani spearheading a Tottenham Hotspur resurgence over the coming months and needs to get this one done.
Saved by Bayindir: Amorim must upgrade on 4/10 Man Utd dud who won 0 duels
Ruben Amorim led his Manchester United side to an FA Cup triumph over Arsenal.
5 ByEthan LambJan 12, 2025
