How does Ruben Amorim’s start at Man Utd to compare to Mikel Arteta at Arsenal? | OneFootball

Ahead of Manchester United‘s Premier League clash with Arsenal on Sunday, Ruben Amorim insisted that he will not be given the time Mikel Arteta had to settle in.

Man Utd’s new boss took over at the helm 25 games ago and, in that time, they have dropped from 13th to 14th place. As the Red Devils brace themselves for their worst Premier League finish in club history, Amorim said: “I will not have the time Arteta had, I feel that. It’s a different club.”

In light of Amorim’s comments, we’ve taken a look at how both managers’ numbers stack up against each other after 25 games in charge.

Amorim vs Arteta

In his first 25 games, Amorim has managed the following record: 11 wins, five draws and nine defeats – a win rate of 44%. However, Arteta had a significantly better start to life in England when he took over Arsenal at the end of 2019. The Spaniard’s record after the same number of games was: 14 wins, six draws and five losses – a 56% win rate.

Arteta’s side also enjoyed a better goalscoring record, netting 40 and conceding 22 goals in his first 25 games. Meanwhile, Man Utd have accrued a negative goal difference since Amorim joined, having scored 38 and conceded a staggering 39 goals.

In Amorim’s 17 league games, the Red Devils have dropped one place in the table (from 13th to 14th); in the same number of games at the start of Arteta’s tenure, Arsenal rose two places (from 11th to ninth).

It should also be noted that Arteta enjoyed success in the Gunners’ cup ventures. In his first 25 games, he led Arsenal from the FA Cup third round all the way to the final, which they went on to win, beating Manchester City along the way. However, he did suffer defeat to Olympiacos in the Europa League round of 32.

On the other hand, Amorim was only able to make it to the fifth round of the FA Cup, having beaten Arsenal and Leicester City in the previous stages, before Man Utd were knocked out by Fulham on penalties. Nevertheless, the Red Devils remain in the Europa League as they prepare to face Real Sociedad in the second leg of their last-16 clash next week, with the tie level at 1-1 on aggregate.

When it comes to facing the heavy hitters, Arteta gets the nod on Amorim. In his first 25 games, the Arsenal boss managed seven games against “Big Six” sides, winning three, losing three and drawing one. Meanwhile, Amorim has taken charge of six games against the Premier League’s biggest names and has posted a similar record: two wins, one draw and three losses.

Should Amorim be given as much time as Arteta?

So, the numbers are larger in Arteta’s favour. But some may be inclined to afford leniency towards Amorim, due to the context of his arrival at Man Utd.

He has joined months after the introduction of a new ownership group, and is currently dealing with an injury crisis which severity exceeds that of any other Premier League side.

Arteta inherited a squad that finished fifth place the season before, and just one point away from the top four. Meanwhile, Man Utd logged their worst ever Premier League finish in 2023-24 at eighth in the table.

Man Utd’s current situation is more dire than Arsenal’s was when Arteta joined, and it is certainly possible that Amorim isn’t afforded the same amount of time.

But, even with the context applied, does he really deserve it? Many Man United fans marvel at the fact he has introduced a fixed footballing philosophy to his squad, as if this feat has never been done before. It doesn’t take a long trip down memory lane to remember Ralf Rangnick’s gegenpressing system in 2022, or Jose Mourinho’s tactical approach before that.

Managers have joined Man Utd, tried to implement their philosophy, and failed. Louis van Gaal, one of the most reputable managers of the 21st century, was sacked after winning the FA Cup. Mourinho, another legend of the game, was dismissed after just two and a half seasons. Rangnick, a supposed footballing genius, threw the towel in after a rocky ride as interim manager.

It’s perfectly fine for a club to admit they’ve whiffed on a managerial decision. Having a tactical approach is the bare minimum for any coach in the Premier League, and is certainly not an irreplaceable trait – especially when that approach has your side languishing in 14th place.

If Man Utd were to pull the plug on the Ruben Amorim project come summer, it would not be unjustifiable, especially considering they have invested little into the manager so far.