Jamie Carragher has warned that Man United head coach Ruben Amorim is at risk of suffering the same fate as Graham Potter after his ill-fated spell at Chelsea.
Amorim has made the worst start of any United manager in more than a century, losing five of his first eight league games in charge.
The Red Devils have failed to score in their last three games and ended 2024 with losses to Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle, dropping them to 14th in the Premier League.
Amorim, who took over as head coach in November following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag, now faces the difficult trip to Anfield rivals and Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
In his Telegraph column, former Liverpool defender Carragher highlighted how Amorim had initially been reluctant to take the job during the season and instead wanted to oversee a summer rebuild.
Carragher warned that the former Sporting Lisbon head coach's start risks mirroring Potter's time at Chelsea after an 'appalling' run of five defeats in six games.
Potter was appointed in September 2022 following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel but was sacked just seven months later as the Blues languished in 11th place after winning just 12 of his 31 games in charge.
'A major concern as United head to Anfield is that Amorim's arrival should mirror that of Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, both in terms of the point in the season at which he took over and the galvanizing impact on players and supporters,” Carragher wrote.
'Currently, the Amorim government has more in common with Graham Potter's brief spell at Chelsea, where the deteriorating situation was exacerbated.
However, Carragher highlighted a key difference between Amorim and Potter in his bid to turn around an underperforming club.
He suggested that Amorim carries the 'aura of a top coach' and gives confidence that he will succeed at Man United, while Potter did not appear to be a fit for the culture at Chelsea.
“I was never convinced that the Englishman was suitable for Stamford Bridge,” Carragher wrote. 'That was a suspicion based on the club's culture, where fans are used to ready-made, superstar managers like Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte.
I have always noticed that Chelsea needs an extrovert to impose his authority with a big personality, even when speaking to the media. Potter is a different character.
'Amorim, on the other hand, has the appearance of a top coach. Unlike Erik ten Hag, he sees and sounds the role. Listening to him gives you the confidence that he knows exactly what he wants from his players, and that given the time and resources, he will succeed.”
Amorim, who has seen his side struggle to implement his 3-4-3 system so far, admitted he was 'embarrassed' by his team's results after their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle on Monday.
The 39-year-old had warned that Man United could be dragged into the relegation battle, with the club just seven points clear of the drop zone.
'It's my fault too. I don't think the team is getting any better. It's a bit lost at the moment,” Amorim said.
'It's a bit embarrassing to be coach of Manchester United and lose a lot of games. But we have to deal with difficult moments in everyone's life.
'That's very clear, so we have to fight. “It's a very difficult moment, one of the more difficult moments in Manchester United's history and we have to deal with it honestly.”
Amorim has remained true to his system at Man United, but admitted a lack of time on the training pitch has hampered his side.
'You can't go back. You have to keep pushing,” he said. 'We had four training sessions [sessions] all together. I know what you are trying to achieve, but it is very clear: I am here because of my idea and I will continue with my idea until the end.
'I change something tactically in every match. You [media] focus on three defenders, I change something every game. If I didn't believe in it, I would change. I'm not stubborn, I just believe in something and stick to it.'
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