Fewer goals than Antony and January regrets - the problems facing Amorim

Ruben Amorim was appointed Manchester United manager in November

When Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag in October, they were 14th in the Premier League table and seven points from both the top four and the bottom three.

Fast forward three and a half months and the club are 15th, 15 points from the top four and 12 points above the relegation zone after suffering a 1-0 defeat by Tottenham - the eighth league defeat under new manager Ruben Amorim.

There has been no 'new manager bounce' with Portuguese coach Amorim saying he has "a lot of problems" and his job is "so hard".

It is no secret that United are enduring a historically poor Premier League campaign but just how large are the problems facing Amorim?

The worst United team in Premier League history

Amorim may have jumped the gun when he described this side as "the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United" in January.

After all, the club were relegated from the first division in 1974.

But in the Premier League era, they are the worst statistically at this stage of a season.

• United's tally of 29 points from 25 matches is their lowest at this stage of a Premier League season

• United have lost 12 times in 25 matches, a loss rate of 48%.

• The club are averaging 1.16 points-per-game, which, if continued, would give them an end-of-season points tally of 44 points from 38 matches. That would be their lowest Premier League points tally.

• United have won four, drawn two and lost eight of Amorim's 14 Premier League matches.

• Only Tottenham, Wolves, Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have earned fewer points than United's 14 in their 14 Premier League matches under Amorim.

Amorim has managed 21 matches since joining United. He has won nine, drawn three and lost nine of those matches, giving him a win rate of 43%.

That is the lowest of any permanent Manchester United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 over their first 21 matches in charge, with Louis van Gaal (48%) the next lowest.

Jose Mourinho (52%), David Moyes (57%), Erik ten Hag (67%) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (71%) all had significantly better records in all competitions from their first 21 matches in charge.

Problems in front of goal

Of all of United's problems under Amorim, their inability to score enough goals is the most glaring.

A deeper look at the numbers does not make for happy reading.

• United have scored 28 goals in 25 Premier League matches this season - a rate of 1.12 goals-per-game.

• Only four teams in the division - Ipswich, Southampton, Leicester and Everton - have scored fewer.

• Amad Diallo, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the season with an ankle injury, is the side's top scorer in the Premier League (six) and all competitions (nine), while centre forwards Rasmus Hojlund (two) and Joshua Zirzkee (three) have managed just five goals in 45 Premier League appearances between them.

• In 14 matches under Ten Hag this season, United's Expected-Goals-per-game (xG) was 1.7. This has fallen slightly under Amorim, with United's xG 1.6-per-game since he took charge.

• United's 'big chances' created record is identical under Ten Hag and Amorim this season, with the side creating 2.9 big chances each match.

• Despite United's struggles, captain Bruno Fernandes is fourth highest for chances created in the league (53). Cole Palmer (66) is top.

United finished last season with a goal difference of -1, the first time they had ended a Premier League campaign with a negative goal difference. However, they are on course to eclipse that with a -7 goal difference this term.

Similarly, while the 57 goals they scored during the 2023-24 campaign was their joint-lowest in the Premier League, they are on course to score fewer this season. If they maintain their rate of 1.12 goals per game, they would finish with 44 scored.

Mounting injury problems

During the early weeks of Amorim's reign, the former Sporting boss bemoaned the lack of time he had been to spend with his players on the training ground.

However with a less packed schedule with qualification for the Europa League knockout stages assured and a Carabao Cup exit at Tottenham's hands, Amorim has been able to spend more time on the training ground.

But a "free week" before Sunday's trip to Tottenham proved anything but productive.

Between the 2-1 win against Leicester City in the FA Cup on 7 February and Sunday's loss to Spurs, United lost six players.

Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer were ruled out of the trip through injury, while Leny Yoro and Christian Eriksen fell ill.

Their absences added to the long-term casualties of Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez and Jonny Evans.

It meant Amorim was forced to name an inexperienced bench against Spurs with Victor Lindelof joined by Elyh Harrison, Harry Amass, Tyler Fredricson, Jack Fletcher, Jack Moorhouse, Chido Obi, Ayden Heaven and Sekou Kone.

Sweden defender Lindelof was the only one of those to have previously played for the first team.

January transfer window regrets

Manchester United made two signings in the January window, bringing in Patrick Dorgu from Italian club Lecce and defender Ayden Heaven from Arsenal but the squad was thinner by the end of the window than when it started as Marcus Rashford, Antony and Tyrell Malacia departed on loan.

Dorgu, a multi-functional left-footed Denmark international, should provide balance at wing-back to Amorim's 3-4-3 system.

But the decision to allow both Antony and Rashford to leave without signing a replacement looked risky at the time and is proving so now.

Their departures left Hojlund, Zirzkee, Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho as the side's only recognised forwards. That list is down to three now, given Diallo's season-ending injury.

Garnacho has no Premier League goals or assists since Amorim joined.

Rashford has made two eye-catching substitute appearances for Aston Villa since moving to Birmingham, and he played a hand in Ollie Watkins' equaliser against Ipswich on Saturday.

As for Antony, the Brazilian has scored three times in four matches for Real Betis since moving to Spain. This matches the tally he managed during 38 appearances for United last season and means he has scored more so far in February than United have.