L-R: Erling Haaland, Ruben Amorim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Just after Phil Foden had set Manchester City on their way to their damning 3-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday, fans could be heard chanting Ruben Amorim’s name.
At first it seemed that United’s 3,000 visiting supporters were defiantly backing their coach, and yet it soon became clear that it was in fact City’s fans who were doing the singing.
They were using the very same song United fans composed earlier this year, which claims that Amorim will “bring the glory days again” and “turn the Reds around” to laugh and mock the Portuguese.
It was a stroke of genius from the City supporters, who used to be on the receiving end of such derision from their Red neighbours, and it is hard to disagree with them. The idea that Amorim is going to turn United around, on this evidence, is indeed laughable.
His side had their moments in the early stages of the derby, but in the second half the contest felt as one-sided as a bullfight. And with blood pouring from the tortured animal, the question is: When should they be put out of their misery?
Amorim made it clear yet again that he is not going to walk away and nor is he going to change his methods or alter his formation. He is going to die by his ideas. So Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his fellow directors have a choice: Either grin and bear the misery, which is becoming more and more frequent, or end the experiment now.
“When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man,” Amorim said. “I don’t believe in that or in the system or whatever, but I believe in my way and I am going to play my way until I want to change.”
Amorim might be the only one believing in his way right now after United confirmed their worst start to a league season since 1992-93.
That campaign had a very happy ending as United went on to win the first ever Premier League title, but do Ratcliffe and co. really believe that Amorim is about to do a Sir Alex Ferguson and suddenly lead United to the promised land? If so, then they are right to keep him in charge.
But a lot has changed since that first Premier League season, and Amorim, as he keeps reminding us, does not want to change.
Meanwhile, watch as Ghanaians debate the performance of Black Stars coach Otto Addo
