“Ruben Amorim is the main reason that Man United is going through this rough patch. The root cause of the problem Man United is facing could have been fixed by him when he freshly joined as the manager but he decided to ignore” – This is according to Jamie Carragher as he points out the single ‘MAJOR error’ Ruben Amorim has committed as Manchester United manager following the derby triumph, which has placed the team in a ‘difficult spot.’

Jamie Carragher has pointed out what he considers to be Ruben Amorim’s biggest mistake since taking charge at Manchester United.

Amorim, who built a reputation as one of Europe’s most promising young managers thanks to his successes at Sporting Lisbon, was appointed as Erik ten Hag’s successor in November. The 39-year-old signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, with an option for a 12-month extension.

His mission was to reverse United’s fortunes after their disastrous start to the Premier League season, where they had won just three of their first nine games, leading to Ten Hag’s dismissal.

Amorim’s tenure began with mixed results, including a draw with Ipswich, a win over Everton, and back-to-back league defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. The situation improved momentarily when United staged a dramatic late comeback to beat Manchester City 2-1, with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo.

However, Carragher highlighted a critical error Amorim made shortly after that memorable derby win. Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Liverpool defender stated that the manager’s decision to heavily rotate the team for an EFL Cup quarter-final against Spurs cost United valuable momentum.

“The one big mistake he made was the team he picked at Tottenham,” Carragher explained. “Not necessarily because it was a cup game, but because of the momentum they had after beating Manchester City. You had to keep that going.”

Amorim made five changes to the side that had beaten City, but the gamble backfired as United were knocked out of the cup in a chaotic 4-3 defeat to Tottenham. Despite mounting a spirited comeback from 3-0 down, individual errors proved costly, and United failed to capitalize on their momentum.

Carragher added: “The buzz from the City win was massive—beating Pep Guardiola and their biggest rivals. To go to Tottenham and make those changes wasn’t necessary. Now, they’ve lost three league games in a row, and they’re in a really poor position.”

United’s subsequent Premier League form only worsened, with three consecutive defeats leaving them 14th in the table ahead of their clash with Newcastle on Monday. Carragher’s comments underscore the delicate balance of momentum and consistency in a manager’s early tenure, especially at a club with the high expectations of Manchester United.