“It was never this bad when Erik Ten Hag was still at Old Trafford. It is clear that Erik Ten Hag was actually the one holding the Manchester United together. Ruben Amorin is in for a ride” – This is according to Football legend Marco van Basten as he makes a controversial claim about the former Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag in regards to the latest trend of losses of the club under Ruben Amorim.

Jamie Carragher has outlined what he sees as Ruben Amorim’s most significant misstep since taking over as Manchester United manager.

Amorim, regarded as one of Europe’s brightest young coaching talents after his achievements at Sporting Lisbon, was appointed as Erik ten Hag’s replacement at Old Trafford in November. The 39-year-old signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, with the option for a 12-month extension.

His primary challenge was to reverse United’s fortunes following their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, having won just three of their first nine matches. Ten Hag was dismissed as a result, paving the way for Amorim’s arrival.

The Portuguese manager’s early tenure has been inconsistent. A draw against Ipswich and a win over Everton were followed by consecutive defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. However, United managed a dramatic turnaround in a clash against Manchester City, securing a 2-1 victory with late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo.

Despite this high point, Carragher believes a critical error shortly after the derby win derailed Amorim’s momentum. Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Liverpool defender highlighted the decision to rotate the squad significantly for an EFL Cup quarter-final against Tottenham as Amorim’s biggest mistake.

“The one big mistake he made was the team he picked at Tottenham,” Carragher said. “On the back of the Manchester City result, they had to keep the momentum going.”

Amorim made five changes to the team that had beaten City, and United ultimately lost a chaotic match to Spurs 4-3. Despite mounting a late comeback after trailing 3-0, individual mistakes proved costly.

Carragher emphasized how the decision disrupted the team’s progress:
“Look at those results. You win some, lose some, but beating Manchester City the way they did was fantastic. The buzz was there, and then you go to Tottenham. He didn’t need to change the team as much. He needed to keep that momentum.”

The defeat at Spurs marked the beginning of a downward spiral. United went on to suffer three consecutive league losses, leaving them in 14th place ahead of their next match against Newcastle.

Carragher concluded that while Amorim deserves some leniency as a new manager adapting to the Premier League, this one decision has had lasting consequences for the club’s season.