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Manchester United ended 2024 with another disappointing result, falling 2-0 to Newcastle at Old Trafford.
Alexander Isak opened the scoring in the fourth minute, and Joelinton doubled Newcastle’s lead in the 19th minute.
Ruben Amorim’s side struggled to respond, unable to break down a resolute Newcastle team.
The defeat leaves United 14th in the Premier League, just seven points above the relegation zone after 19 matches.
Amorim’s tenure is off to a rocky start, with United now on a four-match losing streak across all competitions.
An ex-United coach had plenty to say on the appointment of Amorim, questioning the hire.
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Rene Meulensteen has warned that the club may have repeated past mistakes by appointing Amorim.
Amorim’s tenure has started poorly, with United winning just two of their eight Premier League games and losing five.
Amorim has admitted the Red Devils could face a relegation battle.
Meulensteen, who coached under Sir Alex Ferguson, believes the club’s appointment process is flawed.
Speaking to Football365, Meulensteen said: “It’s more to do with the appointment process than anything about his management style or coaching.”
He compared Amorim’s arrival to Erik ten Hag’s, noting, “You look at when United went for Erik ten Hag.
“He was the manager at Ajax in a smaller league in Europe and did really well winning the league and did well in the Champions League.”
Meulensteen added, “It’s exactly the same pattern” with Amorim.
Hiring “a manager who has been very successful but in a weaker league with no experience of English football.”
Despite liking Amorim’s style, Meulensteen admitted, “He’s got a really nice football style about him.
“That’s where the similarities are.
“I think they’re two different characters with two different personalities.”
He pointed out, “The way that Ten Hag communicated compared to the way that Amorim communicates.
“The way that Amorim likes to play his team in a 3-4-3 is different from Ten Hag.”
Meulensteen highlighted the challenge ten Hag has passed onto Amorim, explaining, “Now, Amorim comes in, and he says very clearly, ‘This is the way I’m going to play.’
“But he’s got a completely different set of players, a completely different league, you know what I mean?”
He concluded, “So it is very hard for him to recreate that because it’s very different.”
