Ruben Amorim: Comparing His Sporting CP and Man Utd Stats in 2024–25 | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim’s tumultuous debut season with Manchester United is almost at a close.

The 40-year-old established himself as one of world football’s most exciting young coaches during an extremely fruitful spell with Sporting CP. He restored the Lisbon giants to the top of the tree in Portugal and was rewarded with the chance to resurrect a fallen giant in Manchester. That has proven a task too great, however.

Amorim’s stock has fallen significantly since arriving at Old Trafford following a traumatic first campaign in English football. The glory days of Sporting have proven challenging to replicate thus far. Losing the Europa League final is another reminder that there's a long way to go.

But just how bad have things been at Man Utd? Let’s delve deeper into Amorim’s 2024–25 campaign.

Ruben Amorim’s 2024–25 Record: Sporting vs. Man Utd

Amorim has been unable to change United’s fortunes. / IMAGO/News Images

Having won Sporting the title at a canter in 2023–24, Amorim and his players were determined to retain their title at the beginning of the current campaign. Things started with a 4–3 defeat to Porto in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira but that was the Portuguese manager’s only defeat of the term in Lisbon. Astonishingly, he then oversaw 16 victories and a draw, including a 4–1 triumph over Manchester City and domestic wins against Porto and Braga.

An 88.9% win rate from his first 18 matches of the season was a factor in United’s decision to move for Amorim after sacking Erik ten Hag, with the former Sporting coach teaming up with the Red Devils after the November international break. The Portuguese giants scored 19 times in his final fives matches in charge and such an exciting attacking approach was expected at Old Trafford after his arrival.

But things didn’t go to plan for the remainder of the calendar year. Amorim drew his first match in charge against now relegated Ipswich Town and lost six times in December alone as United struggled to adapt to his 3-4-2-1 formation. Improvements have been few and far between since and if not for an impressive Europa League campaign, he may already have been given his marching orders.

Amorim has taken charge of 41 games as United boss and won just 16—as many as he managed at Sporting in just 18 outings earlier this term. He’s lost the same number and drawn eight as the Red Devils slipped to 16th in the Premier League and endured some chastening defeats. His win record sits at an embarrassing 39% and there are few signs things will change drastically next season.

Sporting With and Without Ruben Amorim in 2024–25

Amorim enjoyed a tremendous start to the season with Sporting. / IMAGO/

United have proven largely unmanageable since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure and Amorim is the latest to suffer the curse. The Portuguese is clearly an excellent coach—something proven repeatedly in Portugal—and Sporting’s record without him suggests they are missing his influence.

João Pereira took interim charge of Sporting before Rui Borges arrived permanently at the end of December and while the Lisbon giants have secured another Liga Portugal title and a place in this weekend’s Taça de Portugal final with Benfica, their performances have been less convincing than under Amorim.

Pereira and Borges have managed to win just 20 of their 36 matches in charge, drawing nine and losing seven. Four of those defeats admittedly came in the five matches after Amorim’s departure, with Sporting having been much improved in the last few months. But their win percentage is just 55.6% since Amorim’s exit and they have managed eight points fewer this term than they did last season under the United boss.

Had it not been for Amorim’s perfect 11-match winning streak at the beginning of the league season, Lisbon rivals Benfica, who finished just two points behind Sporting, may have stolen their crown.

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