Manchester United’s efforts under manager Ruben Amorim have had little success, with even the 40-year-old’s job in doubt ahead of his first anniversary in charge.
From finishing 15th in the Premier League to being eliminated in the Carabao Cup against League Two opponents, his tenure at Old Trafford was far from many supporters’ expectations.
But in recent weeks, the 40-year-old has finally begun to show signs of success in the role, both in the short and long-term future.
The manager has won three league games in a row and Saturday’s game against Nottingham Forest gave him the chance to extend that winning streak.
Some of the recent success has been due to the summer signings, but there has also been a transformation of a number of players who were already named before his appointment.
Manchester United players revived under Amorim
Amad Diallo was a player who was seen as having a big future at United, with United paying a reported £36 million for him in January 2021, but the early years of his spell in England were limited to say the least.
Under former manager Erik ten Hag, he was often used as a bench player, but Amorim’s arrival has sparked a new sense of confidence in the Ivorian.
The 23-year-old has found himself in an unnatural wing-back role since taking over, but his first-team minutes have been consistent, with a total of 20 goals and assists in his past 52 appearances.
He is not alone in turning his career around at Old Trafford, with centre-back Matthijs de Ligt often struggling to make the immediate impact many expected after his move from Bayern Munich last summer.
The Dutch international has often been questioned for his lack of defensive edge, but he has been a key component of Amorim’s side this season and has since played every minute of the Premier League to date.
So far this season, he has made 1.7 tackles per 90 and won 3.1 aerial duels, giving the team the strength they lacked last campaign.
Other players such as Luke Shaw and Mason Mount were also regular starters throughout the early part of the season, but could also be surprises as they were sidelined by fans in 2024/25.
The situation highlights the manager’s personal management with players at his disposal, which has allowed the Red Devils to endure a somewhat unaccustomed sense of victory of late.
United player on track to be one of United’s best players in 2025/26
When you think of some of United’s best players in the current campaign, your imagination undoubtedly goes straight to the £200m attacking trio who joined this summer.
Brian Mbeumo is just one of the attacking stars who has made an immediate impact at Old Trafford, as evidenced by his five goals in his first 10 games for the club.
Bruno Fernandes is definitely one of the players that comes to mind, and rightly so, especially considering the club captain scored a total of 37 goals and assists last season.
However, the Portugal international has since fallen into a deeper role, allowing players like Mbeumo to operate in a number 10 role in a 3-4-2-1 system.
As a result, Amorim needed to find a dominant ball-winner who could play alongside Bruno, and the 40-year-old decided to use the experienced Casemiro in such a role.
The 33-year-old joined from Real Madrid in a £60m deal in the summer of 2022, with real hopes of handing the Red Devils a much-needed top-flight star in the middle of the park.
However, his spell in England was largely checkered, with his disciplinary record of four red cards often keeping him from being a reliable option.
Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher even called the Brazilian “terrible” in September 2023, before making his infamous “leave football” statement in May 2024, and many expected the player to leave the Theater of Dreams in recent days.
Despite this criticism, Casemiro has managed to turn his Premier League career around, appearing in all but one league match in the 2025-26 season.
Casemiro – PL statistics (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (per 90 people) | tally |
games played | 8 |
goals and assists | 3 |
Pass accuracy | 83% |
The tackle I made | 3.1 |
Number of balls collected | 5.3 |
won a duel | 60% |
aerial won | 1.6 |
foul win | 1.2 |
Statistics by FotMob | |
While his work outside of possession was primarily his responsibility, he was a star with the ball at his feet, scoring two goals and providing one assist in eight appearances.
He also makes 3.1 tackles and recovers the ball 5.3 times per 90, highlighting his defensive talent, which has often been questioned in recent years.
Other tallies such as 60% duel wins and 1.6 aerial wins per 9,0 further prove his outstanding abilities, making him the perfect partner alongside Bruno at the moment.
Casemiro deserves a lot of credit for his recent resurgence under Amorim, following his temporary exit to now become one of the club’s most important players.
This partnership at the heart of the team could lead to a successful 2025/26 season and the start of the manager’s tenure at Old Trafford.