Is Manchester United Finally Turning A Corner Under Ruben Amorim?

Manchester United hadn’t enjoyed a night like Thursday night for a long time. With a place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on the line, Ruben Amorim’s team delivered, sweeping aside Real Sociedad with a 4-1 victory. Bruno Fernandes netted a hat trick and United played its best game under Amorim so far.

This came after a credible 1-1 draw against Arsenal. While Manchester United was second best in the first half, its performance in the second half created multiple opportunities to score a second goal. By full time, Arsenal was somewhat fortunate to leave Old Trafford with a point. United could have claimed all three.

United is unbeaten in 90 minutes in its last six matches in all competitions. This run has included draws against Everton, Real Sociedad and Arsenal, so Amorim’s team is hardly in rampant form, but are there signs that Manchester United is finally turning a corner? Amorim’s ideas are beginning to take root.

Patrick Dorgu is showing why the Old Trafford club was so keen to sign him in the January transfer window. Indeed, the Danish international has given Manchester United a different dimension down the left wing, making the position his own over the last few matches. He’s getting better and better.

Ayden Heaven has also slotted comfortably into Amorim’s team after joining Manchester United in January. The 18-year-old centre back arrived from Arsenal and faced his former team last weekend, coming on for the injured Leny Yoro in the second half. Heaven backed this up with a solid display against Real Sociedad.

Under Amorim, Manchester United is starting to play with intensity. Players are beginning to buy into the Portuguese coach’s methods, hinting that the team could put together a good run of form between now and the end of the season. That won’t mean much in terms of United’s Premier League position, but it could set the side up for a better 2025/26 campaign.

On and off the field, Manchester United is at a crossroads. Last week saw the club announce plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium to be built within the next five years. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS wants to restore United as a force in English and European soccer as quickly as possible, but there’s a lot of work to be done.

Amorim perhaps didn’t anticipate the scale of the task he accepted when he arrived from Sporting CP in November, but the 40-year-old hasn’t shied away from the job. He has stuck by his principles and those principles are now starting to show on the pitch. The worst of it might be behind Manchester United.