Former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy has launched a scathing attack on Ruben Amorim and blamed the manager for Manchester United's rapid decline. The ex-Liverpool star has delivered a damning assessment of Amorim, claiming the Portuguese coach’s tactical setup is crippling the club and dragging its midfielders backwards. Murphy, never shy of a strong opinion, claimed Amorim’s obsession with his rigid system has turned Old Trafford into a graveyard for creativity.
Murphy blasts Amorim’s midfield systemUnited’s winless run fuels rising criticismPressure mounts ahead of Burnley clashFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Amorim’s reign has yet to provide any hint of stability. His side have taken just one point from their opening two Premier League games this season, and a damning defeat to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup once again showcased United’s struggles to create rhythm or control matches.
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The problems are hardly new. After a disastrous 2024/25 campaign that saw the Red Devils slump to 15th in the table and lose the Europa League final to Tottenham, fans had hoped this season would bring fresh life. Instead, it feels like the rot has continued, with Amorim’s men still searching for a first competitive victory this season.
WHAT MURPHY SAID
Speaking on White and Jordan show, Murphy pulled no punches in highlighting why the system is a disaster: “I think that squad is able to compete. I just think his system is the problem, I've said it from day one. I wouldn't like playing that system as a midfielder, no chance. He's warm and charismatic – you can't help but like him.
“From a footballing perspective, that system – it's not going to work. What midfielder at Manchester United has progressed in that system under him? They've all digressed. Every one of them has been hammered – and the reason is because if you play two in the middle of the park in any system, whether it be a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3, if you've only got two in the middle, you're going to get overrun and look troubled.”
DID YOU KNOW?
The former Liverpool man listed the casualties of Amorim’s system: Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes. All of them, Murphy argued, have suffered under the weight of being exposed in central areas.
"Mainoo’s been hammered, Casemiro’s been hammered, [Manuel] Ugarte has been hammered," Murphy argued. "Bruno's been hammered playing in that role – Bruno's [now] more of a four.”
