It was that gane against City that had most incredibly excited. We saw Amorim neutralize the best manager/best team in the league at the time, scoring 4 goals. At that point, many of us felt and knew we had the right man.
So when he arrived at the club we were cautiously expecting to see form improve. And it did, until it didn't. The storm, as Amorim described it, had arrived. The season ended with Manchester United in 15th and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham (of all teams).
And with the end of the season, many had lost their faith in the manager. I can't blame them. At one point I wouldn't even bother watching games, knowing that we would lose them anyway. Admittedly, I didn't even bother watching the Europa League final. I still haven't gone looking for the full match and watch it back. Based on the what I read on social media, I wasn't going to go looking for that kind of hurt.
And with the Europa League loss, it meant we were not going to have the money to strengthen the squad. Based on the rumours, we were going to go about it the slow way. Buying cheap, young, prospective talent. But at some point that changed.
First came Cunha. Then 4 weeks later it was Mbeumo. Today it is clear we are going for Sesko. Somwhere along the way it was decided we were not going to be sheepish in the transfer window. Instead we were going to go in with ambition.
While we have only seen Cunha in action so far, it is clear the ambition wasn't only in the transfer window. The players turned up to pre-season training looking lean and sharp.
The game against West Ham was particularly exciting. For the first time in close to an year we looked like we knew what we were doing on the pitch. The players were able to find each other, they were able to keep possession, press high and move with speed.
Then came Bournemouth. We expected them to offer the strongest opposition. Instead, Manchester United looked the superior side by far. The players ran rings around Bournemouth, who had earlier in the week scored three goals against Everton. The game ended 4-1. All goals scored by United players.
While you can't read too much into pre-season, it is difficult to discount the good things we have observed as United fans. We suddenly look like we know what we ae doing and that is wihout our summer signings for the Bournemouth game.
It goes to show that Amorim's tactics are finally filtering down to the players. With one game a week (at least before cup competitions) Manchester United look like a team that is ready to break expectations.
Is a title challenge in the offing? 👀
It remains to be seen.
