'Not playing as well as we'd all like to see' - Man Utd legend Sir David Beckham gives honest take on Red Devils' 'slow' progress under Ruben Amorim

Portuguese tactician Amorim has been at the helm since November 2024. He has taken in 56 games in charge of United, picking up only 22 wins and suffering 20 defeats. The Red Devils slumped to their worst Premier League finish last season, as they ended the campaign in 15th place.

They also suffered defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final, meaning that they have no continental football on the agenda this term, which has led to talk of money-spinning midweek friendlies being lined up. United have already seen one route to tangible success closed off after suffering a humbling Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby.

Amorim was under huge pressure at that point, but managed to keep his neck off the chopping block. United have suffered just one defeat through their last seven fixtures - emerging victorious in four of those.

They recovered from falling a goal behind at Crystal Palace last time out to pick up three precious points in a 2-1 win. Commendable fighting spirit was on show at Selhurst Park, with Amorim pleased with what he saw.

Beckham was another interested observer, as he attended the latest Formula 1 Grand Prix that took place in Qatar. He was quizzed by Sky Sports while in the Middle East on what he makes of United’s class of 2025-26.

The Red Devils’ iconic former No.7 said: “I think there are signs of the manager turning things around. He has tweaked a few things and we are coming into a few better results. There’s still a long way to go and there has been a few games where we haven’t been playing as well. But I think we’ve got a good manager there and I think he is changing things slowly.”

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Beckham’s tune is more positive than the one he sounded back in mid-September following a 3-0 reversal against derby rivals City. The ex-England captain told CBS Sports at that stage: “Being an ex-player, and being a fan of the club, I would hope that they are hurting like we are as fans, and I'm sure they are because they're professionals.

“They're not going out there not wanting to win the game. They've just come up against a team like City, at City. Whenever you lose these games, you don't go out for a few weeks because you know you can't walk around Manchester and bump into United fans, because it's just not a good place to be in. It was a very hard watch, and like I said, as a United fan, I'm fed up with watching these games and seeing what we're seeing as fans.”

Beckham, who has been linked with a consortium planning a supposed takeover bid at Old Trafford - with the unpopular Glazer family still at the helm for now - has also given his take on the Three Lions ahead of their bid for World Cup glory in 2026.

The man with 115 caps to his name said: “I think Thomas [Tuchel] has got a great squad of players and we’ve got a real opportunity going into this tournament. We’ve got a captain [Harry Kane] in unbelievable form, scoring the goals and leading by example.

“Thomas has got a tough choice and tough decisions to make but that’s why he’s in the position he’s in. He’s done it a million times before and I’m sure he’ll pick the right players to win the tournament.”

England are waiting to discover who they will get in the World Cup group stage draw, which takes place on Friday, while United - who sit seventh in the Premier League table - are preparing for a home date with West Ham on Tuesday.