Ruben Amorim warned over huge Man Utd 'weakness' amid sack pressure

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Paul Scholes says that Ruben Amorim appears isolated on the Manchester United touchline because he lacks a recognisable presence alongside him - but it's not necessarily something he can address. Amorim brought several backroom staff from Sporting Clube de Portugal following his appointment at United.

Among those figures, assistant head coach Carlos Fernandes and first-team coach Adelio Candido have remained with him throughout his managerial journey. Emanuel Ferro, another first-team coach, had previously worked at Benfica alongside Fernandes during Amorim's playing days. Ruud van Nistelrooy was keen to remain at United in whatever role was available, but the Portuguese boss chose to prioritise his own trusted team.

However, Scholes thinks Amorim would gain from having a well-known assistant by his side - though it would also bring with it a downside.

"He looks lonely on the sideline," he remarked about Amorim on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast. "You even look at the big managers, they've got a bit of presence next to them. What's Amorim got next to him? I couldn't tell you who his assistants are.

"The trouble he's got with that now, though, I think if he decides to bring someone in now, like, let's say it's a Ruud van Nistelrooy, or a Michael Carrick , with him, it makes everyone think he looks a little bit weak.

"Even with Arsenal , you've got Albert [Stuivenberg] who's got great experience, with Man United with [Louis] van Gaal [and] the Dutch squad. He's got Gabby Heinze, a face next to him, a little bit.

"I couldn't tell you who's behind him [Amorim]? I don't know who it is. Nobody knows. We know [Jason] Tindall's name, we know the ones with Pep [Guardiola] , Kolo Toure and Pep Lijnders. Who's with him?".

Amorim had previously spoken about whether bringing in someone familiar with the club would prove advantageous back in February this year, ahead of United's clash with Leicester City, who were then managed by Van Nistelrooy.

"No. The most important thing to have as a coach is a staff that understands the way you want to play, the standards that you have," Amorim explained.

"I prefer to work with the team that brought me here. It's clear that that is important for me to understand my ideas, to explain the same thing to the players.

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"So it was that decision. And I'm really comfortable and confident that I know how to win, no matter the club. Of course, we are losing.

"In these moments, you need experienced guys. But I'm not lost or feeling a lack of something in the staff. We just need to improve as a team."

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