Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has sparked fresh concerns over Manchester United’s future by drawing stark comparisons between current manager Ruben Amorim and former Chelsea boss Graham Potter. The assessment comes at a critical juncture, with United experiencing one of their worst runs in recent history under Amorim’s brief leadership.
Writing in The Telegraph, Carragher highlighted unsettling parallels between Amorim’s struggling start at Old Trafford and Potter’s ill-fated tenure at Chelsea. Potter’s spell at Stamford Bridge, which began with great expectations in September 2022, quickly unraveled into a disappointing campaign marked by inconsistency and poor results, ultimately leading to his premature departure.
The comparison gains particular relevance given United’s dramatic downturn under Amorim since his November appointment. What started as a period of renewed optimism has rapidly descended into crisis, with December proving especially catastrophic. The Red Devils endured a series of humbling defeats against Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves, and Newcastle, plummeting to an alarming 14th position in the Premier League table.
Perhaps most troubling is the historic nature of United’s current predicament. The club hasn’t experienced five league defeats in a single calendar month since 1962, while their six losses across all competitions mark their worst run since September 1930. Adding to these unwanted records, Amorim has become the first United manager in over a century to lose five of his opening eight Premier League fixtures.
Carragher’s analysis takes on added significance as United prepare for their crucial clash with Liverpool at Anfield. The former defender noted that Amorim’s appointment was meant to mirror Jurgen Klopp’s transformative impact at Liverpool, both in timing and potential influence on players and supporters. However, the reality has proven starkly different.
“A big worry as United head to Anfield is that Amorim’s arrival was supposed to echo Jurgen Klopp’s at Liverpool,” Carragher wrote. Currently, Amorim’s reign has more in common with Graham Potter’s brief spell at Chelsea, where a deteriorating situation was made worse.” The pundit did acknowledge that even United’s recent victory against Manchester City came through “a freakish finale rather than an excellent 90-minute performance.
The comparison between Amorim and Potter extends beyond mere results. Both managers arrived with reputations for implementing progressive, attacking football and developing young talent. However, like Potter at Chelsea, Amorim has struggled to translate his philosophical approach into consistent performances at a club where immediate results are demanded.
United’s current crisis bears hallmarks of systemic issues that transcend managerial influence. The club’s struggles under previous managers Erik ten Hag, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Jose Mourinho suggest deeper structural problems that new appointments alone cannot resolve. The similarity to Potter’s situation at Chelsea, where institutional instability contributed to his downfall, raises legitimate concerns about Amorim’s prospects for long-term success.
However, Carragher also noted important distinctions between Potter’s Chelsea tenure and Amorim’s current situation at United, suggesting hope for a different outcome. The Portuguese manager’s track record of success at Sporting CP, where he built a title-winning team through tactical innovation and youth development, provides some basis for optimism despite the current struggles.
As United prepare for their upcoming fixtures, the pressure on Amorim continues to mount. The manager’s ability to navigate this crucial period could determine whether his tenure follows Potter’s path to premature conclusion or finds a way to break the cycle of managerial disappointments at Old Trafford.
The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Carragher’s warning proves prophetic or if Amorim can forge a different path, turning around United’s fortunes and establishing himself as the transformative figure the club desperately needs. With the January transfer window approaching and crucial matches ahead, time is of the essence for Amorim to demonstrate he can avoid Potter’s fate and write his own successful chapter in United’s history.
