Rio Ferdinand makes huge Ruben Amorim claim after Man Utd secure three straight wins

Questions were being raised over Amorim’s future at United after his side made a poor start to the 2025-26 season. The 20-time champions won just two of their opening six league games, against Burnley and Chelsea, having suffered defeats against Arsenal, Manchester City and Brentford. United also drew with Fulham in the league and bowed out of the Carabao Cup in a 12-11 penalty shootout loss against League Two minnows Grimsby Town.

Particular criticism was being directed towards Amorim’s favoured 3-4-3 formation, with the former Sporting CP boss adamant the system was not to blame for his side’s struggles. 

Speaking before United’s victory over Sunderland on 4 October, the 40-year-old said: "It is normal and you cannot run away from the results and then you have baggage from last season but for me last season doesn’t matter. We had six games this season and we lost three. We have to look to the games we lost, if we lost against Arsenal due to the system, it is your job to make the opinions. City and Brentford the way we gave away goals and created chances, it is nothing to do with the system. If we look to the games we didn’t win, people have different opinions and that is okay.”

But after receiving a public backing from United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Amorim has since led United to a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. Following the 2-0 win over Sunderland, the club secured their first victory at Liverpool since 2016 thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire, also achieving back-to-back league wins under Amorim for the first time. And United made it three in a row on Saturday when they defeated Brighton 4-2 at the Theatre of Dreams, with summer signing Mbeumo netting a brace while Brazil duo Matheus Cunha and Casemiro also got on the scoresheet.

However, while admitting he can’t help but “admire” Amorim for sticking to his guns, Ferdinand believes the United manager was playing with fire at the same time. 

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the 46-year-old - who lifted 14 trophies during an incredible 12-year period at the club - said of Amorim’s defiance: “I admire it to a certain extent. But like I said, I think he was playing Russian Roulette with his job. I don't think he's changed drastically, he's just tweaked. 

“That's what a lot of fans were asking for. Just tweak what you've got. Maybe don't be so much on the front foot, maybe be a bit more conservative at times when we haven't got the ball. You can't press, press, press for 90 minutes, unless you're an absolute beast of a team. PSG do it. This manager couldn't do that with this squad. 

“That's just sometimes how the cookie crumbles. We might look back in six months and, say Man United finish in the Champions League or something like that, he'll probably sit there confidently and go, ‘Well, if I did change, I probably would be out of a job because I have been doing things that are alien to me’.”

While Ferdinand has mixed emotions over Amorim’s decision to stick to his principles, another former United player - Danny Welbeck - has taken a different view. Now representing Brighton, the 34-year-old striker told Sky Sports after the game on Saturday: "It is the best [Manchester United] side we have faced in a while. They were really organised and structured, they always have incredible players and today they really punished our mistakes. A difficult game but one we can look back and analyse. I do believe we can come here and get the three points.”

Amorim and United go in search of a fourth straight league victory when they travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The City Ground club suffered a 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth in new manager Sean Dyche’s first league game in charge on Sunday. Forest currently sit 18th in the table, with just one league win to their name, while United are up to sixth thanks to their winning run.