Latest news with #Meulensteen
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
‘Ruben Amorim backed himself into a corner - but can make Man Utd mistake right'
Ruben Amorim was appointed as Manchester United manager in November, but has struggled since, with the club finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has slammed Ruben Amorim for his unwavering commitment to his favoured 3-4-3 formation, despite results not going United's way since he took over at Old Trafford. After taking the reins in November, following an impressive stint at Sporting CP, Amorim struggled to hit the ground running with the Red Devils. He ultimately steered them to a 15th place finish in the league and defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final. Amorim, 40, managed a meagre seven wins out of 27 league games and subsequently missed out on European football qualification. Now, his relentless use of his preferred system has drawn criticism from Meulensteen. 'I find it, in my personal opinion, a bit short-sighted in that respect,' Meulensteen said on the High Performance podcast. 'I think if he worded it differently from the start, he would not have got hunted by it every single day because constantly the media will come back to him. 'You're losing again today, is it because of the system?' "I think he should have said, 'Listen, I prefer a 3-4-3 system. I had a lot of success with it. I know it can work. I'm going to try to make it work at Manchester United. However, I need to have a look at the squad first. I need to look at how I can best use the players and utilise their strengths because that's what you need to do. And I need to get to know the Premier League and the opponents and everything.' "There's so many variables that have an effect on whether that system is going to work or not," Meulensteen continued. "So if he would have done that, he would have been more flexible in getting to grips with the size of the task anyway, never mind losing or winning games. Now, when you win games, things become easier, because you can get your message across easier." Meulensteen, who worked under Sir Alex Ferguson for the last six years of the Scotsman's reign, fears that Amorim's determination to stick to his principles could prove to be an error. However, he has argued that it is not too late for Amorim to change his ways, as per the Manchester Evening News. "It is hard to say what kind of advice you would give him, because if he diverts from that, he sees it as a weakness," Meulensteen added. "So that's why he's been, maybe, stubborn and stuck to it . 'I'm going to make it work, no matter what.' "I don't think it would be a sign of weakness. He comes across a lot of times as very, very honest. Why couldn't you say, 'Listen I know I've said this. However, the experiences I've had over the last few months make me rethink and review. I genuinely believe that it is in the best interests of all of us–the team, the squad–-that I tweak a few things.' "He has tweaked a few things, when he's played Garnacho in that number eight role on the left-hand side. He gave him the leeway to go to the wide areas because that's where Garnacho's strength is, and then run at people and come inside. "I also do think that you never should stick yourself to one particular system, because a system is nothing else than a framework. How you're going to start the game. The moment the whistle goes, a 4-4-2 flows into a 4-3-3, a 2-4-4, however the game pans out. So that is not the most important thing." Regardless of whether Amorim makes a tactical switch or not, United are facing a crucial summer transfer window as they gear up for next season without the prospect of European football. The club have already signed Matheus Cunha from Wolves and are targeting Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
The £100m final Man Utd cannot afford to lose?
"It's a crossroads moment."That is the verdict of former Manchester United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen on the club's Europa League final against Tottenham on all United fans, the Dutchman is coming to terms with a bitterly disappointing domestic campaign, and dreading the consequences of failure in Bilbao."It would be a silver lining. A win in the Europa League isn't going to make up for the most disastrous season," Meulensteen told BBC Sport, with United languishing 16th in the Premier League, and now condemned to their lowest top-flight finish for more than half a century."But if they don't win it, why would we expect anything different next season? The trophy would free up some finances to get players in."If they don't win it, we won't be in Europe, and I really worry what the future is going to look like."With qualification for the lucrative Champions League the prize for the Europa League winners, and set against the backdrop of United's long decline, it is easy to see why the match is being portrayed as such a defining moment at Old just how significant is it really?"Financially, it's the most important match in the club's history," says football finance expert Kieran Maguire."Champions League participation is crucial, because it could generate over £100m from tickets, broadcast money, and sponsor bonuses."With four home games guaranteed, Maguire estimates that there could then be an additional £30m-£40m if United go deep into the the benefits of being back in the expanded Champions League apply just as much to Spurs of course, United arguably need it recorded an annual loss of £26m last year, while United's deficit was £113m over the same period. That took their total losses to £300m over the past three years. The sense of underperformance is even more stark given United generated total revenue of £651m last year, the fourth highest by any club in world due largely to the leveraged takeover by majority owners the Glazer family in 2005, the club are also more than £1bn in debt, which costs tens of millions of pounds a year to service. And that burden is set to increase in the years ahead because of refinancing and higher interest United have admitted they have been at risk of failing to comply with Premier League profit and sustainability rules (PSR) that limit clubs' losses. 'Europa League win would allow a reboot' In March, co-owner and petro-chemicals billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe told me the club would have gone bust by the end of the year if significant action had not been taken, bemoaning the financial burden of several players he had inherited who "were overpaid and not good enough".Meanwhile, fans are clinging to reports linking the club with moves for potential targets such as Liam Delap, Antoine Semenyo and Matheus Cunha. But if United fail to sell loaned-out, high-earning players such as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony, acquisitions could hinge on what happens in new players to Old Trafford is likely to be much easier if the club can offer European football. And United have admitted that if they are to improve their underperforming squad, they need to cut outgoings, hence the hundreds of staff redundancies, and ticket price increases imposed by Ratcliffe - that have sparked protests by fans."United still have one of the highest wage bills in the Premier League. They have a squad which has cost more than £1bn, and many of those deals have been on credit, so they have outstanding instalments of over £300m that need to be paid," says Maguire."So they need the cash from the Champions League to meet their ongoing financial obligations, and that's before they start recruiting the players the manager wants. The additional revenue will put the club in a far stronger position in terms of a reboot."Such thoughts are echoed by former United defender Rio Ferdinand who told PA that victory could spark a "new era" for the club."With Manchester United, they need the money to recruit for this manager and it's a vital period for him in that sense," he said. "I do think it's a chance to press the restart button and it will be a new era if these are the guys who managed to win."With each finishing position in the Premier League table worth around £3m, United have made around £30m less than the club's executives would have been planning the Ineos hierarchy, a trophy would also help compensate for the £14.5m spent on the sacking of former manager Erik ten Hag - who was retained and then backed in the transfer market last summer - and the hiring and firing of former sporting director Dan mounting scrutiny over such decisions, club bosses are also yet to explain how they will afford to build a proposed new stadium estimated to be costing at least £ a time when Ratcliffe is reducing his other sports investments, including an Ineos sponsorship agreement with Spurs, in a challenging economic landscape for the chemicals industry, a first European trophy since taking over at Old Trafford would be a very timely in Bilbao would also come at a cost. With player contracts heavily incentivised, Maguire estimates that qualifying for the Champions League will also mean United could face having to pay out 25% extra on wages. But he maintains that the Champions League would still be "transformative".Manager Ruben Amorim hinted as much when admitting that the Champions League was more important to him than winning the Europa League. "The best way to help us to get to the top in a few years is the Champions League, not the cup," he asked if being out of Europe next season might actually help by giving him more time to work on his squad, he was clear that losing the final against Spurs would be "really bad... the patience of the fans and you guys [the media] next year if we don't win it is going to be on the limit". 'People start to question whether you're a big club' For Spurs, the prospect of a first trophy since 2008 is also a chance to salvage something from a desperate Premier League campaign that – just like United - has redefined what domestic failure looks like for a so-called 'Big Six' club. Their season has also featured furious fan protests over a perceived lack of investment by the club's owner Enic and the approach of chairman Daniel Levy."Qualifying for the Champions League would be in the desirable category for Spurs, rather than essential," says Maguire. "They are the best-run business in the Premier League. They have the most profits historically. They have an ability to generate money from non-football activities to a far greater extent than any other club, so they've always got this as a support mechanism."At United, a second consecutive season out of the Champions League means the club will have to pay kit provider Adidas a £10m penalty under the terms of their on condition of anonymity, one former senior United figure predicts that the sponsorship revenue the club have prided themselves on over so many years could be at risk of "collapsing" if they are out of Europe for only the second time in 35 years, and that their brand value is now at a pivotal moment."Not being a European team creates more existential issues around the whole model" they told BBC Sport, pointing to the end of the Tezos sponsorship of the club's training kit this summer."It's not healthy, and people start to question whether you are still a 'big club'. But win, and it keeps the wheels spinning. The cash will be 'lifeblood' that allows them to keep trading. If not, they'll have to look at selling homegrown talent like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo to give them the funds they want."Some United fans travelling to Bilbao will hope the match evokes memories of the 1991 Cup Winners' Cup triumph - which helped spark the subsequent Sir Alex Ferguson glory years, and showed the club could perform again at a European will look to 2017 as inspiration, when Jose Mourinho's team won the Europa League final to rescue Champions League qualification after finishing sixth in the Premier League. But given how much worse United's league performance has become, this feels much more against Spurs, and many will feel that Ineos' already ambitious Mission 21 plan to turn United into Premier League champions by 2028 could start to look like Mission Impossible. However, senior United insiders dispute the suggestion that this is "win or bust", insisting that the cost-cutting programme the club are implementing is designed to give flexibility in the summer transfer window, and has been predicated on a 'no-Europe' they accept that winning the Europa League would provide a major boost, they say the key is fixing the club's Amorim and his counterpart, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, have played down suggestions that the Europa League offers some kind of panacea. Indeed, with Spurs also on course for their worst-ever Premier League season, victory may not be enough to keep Postecoglou in his job, while Amorim seems secure in his, even if his team yet there is no denying that there will still be a huge amount at stake on Wednesday, making this one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the season. While the neutrals can enjoy the jeopardy, United and Spurs fans will long for a much-needed sense of hope at the end of a season to forget. Here in Bilbao, a city known for its regeneration, lies a chance to kickstart a however, and the road to recovery will feel much longer.
