Gary Neville has warned that Manchester United will need at least “two to three transfer windows” before the Ruben Amorim era is likely to bear fruit, due to the squad overhaul required.
Amorim found success at former club Sporting CP with a 3-4-3 system that he has immediately tried to implement in Manchester. But arriving mid-season and inheriting a squad built for a different coach with a different way of playing has made it a challenging few months.
United spent money on wing-back Patrick Dorgu in the January transfer window. But the budget was limited amid PSR concerns and player departures will be required in summer, both to raise funds and make room for those better suited to the desired formation.
Ex-United captain Neville called it a “a peculiar system” because of the very specific needs.
“It’s a system where you’ve got to find two midfield players who are good enough to play with each other and cover a lot of ground,” he said on the latest Gary Neville Podcast.
“You’ve got to find three centre-backs – with two of the outside ones capable of playing out wide in the full-back areas when the wing-backs go forward. So you’re asking for specialists throughout the team. It’s not like other systems which are a little bit more forgiving.
“How quickly can Amorim and the recruitment team at United get to a point where they can adapt this squad into a 3-4-3 squad? It’s going to be a minimum of two to three transfer windows because of the investment that’s been made and we know the club’s on the edge of PSR.
“They’ve lost £300m in the last three years, so there’s a real struggle and fight to be able to spend the money that they need in the transfer market as well. There’s been a lot of waste in the last few years.”
That sort of timeframe suggests that United may not be ready to compete until 2026/27, with Neville predicting major recruitment needs in summer 2025, January 2026 and summer 2026.
Amorim said in the wake of Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur that he retains confidence in his own ability as a coach and is not worried about his job security, although there have been reports claiming some inside the dressing room have begun to question his methods.
