Man United Inquest: Future Plans, Signings, Departures, and Financial Concerns

Manchester United are back where they began exactly a year ago. A cup final, a manager in crisis and a huge decision to make.

United stuck by Erik ten Hag after winning the FA Cup last May and backed him with £200million more in the transfer market. The Dutchman was gone by the end of October.

Now, after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham in Bilbao on Wednesday night, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers have reached the same crossroads again.

Do they stick with Ruben Amorim and invest in a head coach and his bespoke playing style this summer with what cash is left in the kitty, or twist?

All the indications are that United will keep the faith, even though it’s understood that a number of players are unconvinced.

The message from the Old Trafford boardroom before the final was that Amorim was their man regardless of the outcome. It hasn’t changed after 90 turgid, torturous minutes in Bilbao, even though he raised the stakes by saying afterwards that he would go tomorrow without compensation, if that is the club’s wish.

It followed speculation before the final that Amorim had to be talked out of quitting his job in January. Although sources have cast doubt over such a conversation taking place, they concede that at the very least he was in need of reassurance from his employers.

‘It was obviously a low moment, but he pulled out of it,’ said one insider.

The trouble is that United’s problems have only got worse since then. They are already assured of their worst ever Premier League finish and could end the season one place above the relegation zone.

Amorim may have inherited a difficult situation from Ten Hag, but his top-flight points per game record since then is not only worse than his predecessor, but also than Paul Jewell – who helped take Derby down with 11 points in 2008.

His one chance of salvation was Europe, but he blew it in the San Mames. As Tottenham’s players celebrated on the pitch afterwards and United’s were scattered around the turf in devastation, Amorim paced back and forth on his own, lost in thought and all alone.

If he was in need of reassurance in January, then what about now? At least a year ago United had the feelgood factor of an FA Cup win to paper over the cracks of a poor Premier League season, however briefly the euphoria lasted.

A truly horrific season will draw to a close against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday when fans will once again march in protest against the owners, a venting of anger that promises to be that bit more toxic in the wake of Wednesday’s disappointment.

Then it’s on to a post-season tour of the Far East. On current form, you wouldn’t back Amorim’s side to beat ASEAN All-Stars when they meet in Kuala Lumpur next week.

The surfing banner in United’s half of the San Mames – which had been approved by captain Bruno Fernandes – declared: ‘We’ve seen it all’. By the end of another depressing chapter in their club’s dismal season, a more appropriate message might have been: ‘We’ve seen enough’.

Yet, the fans continued to sing Amorim’s name to the tune of tune of Bonnie Tyler’s It’s a Heartache, a choice of song that has always felt rather prophetic.

They are still backing him and that will no doubt help the Old Trafford hierarchy in their decision to keep faith as well.

But United need to support him properly too and the hard part will be getting rid of the players he doesn’t want and bringing in the players he does.

One of the problems with Amorim’s system is that he doesn’t use conventional wingers, whereas United’s attacking traditions have been built on them.

A devotion to a back three, attacking wing-backs and two No 10s is one of the reasons Liverpool decided he wasn’t for them when they appointed Arne Slot, but he has remained unswerving in his philosophy, however close it has taken him to the rocks at United.

With Amorim’s blessing, the club could sell wingers Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and, quite possibly, Alejandro Garnacho this summer and sign players that better suit his system, starting with Matheus Cunha for £62.5million from Wolves.

But what if it doesn’t work out again? What if, like Ten Hag, United stand by their man and then have to sack him nine games into the new season? Do they go out and buy a whole new load of wingers for the next guy? This is already a squad cobbled together under so many different managers.

One benefit of not being in the Champions League is Amorim having more time to work with his players, without the burden of midweek games. But what if that doesn’t pay off in the Premier League and Amorim finds himself out of excuses before November?

This, as Fernandes acknowledged, is a results business. ‘We know that the manager is looked at by the results. Obviously we see more than that as players,’ said the United captain.

The other consequence of being out of the Champions League, of course, is the £100m black hole it leaves in United’s finances.

Amorim admitted on Wednesday night that the club would have to work to their lower budget, which is thought to be in the region of £125m cash plus whatever they can raise through player sales.

The notion that United can simply flog a bunch of their big-earners is easier said than done, however.

Although Barcelona’s sporting director Deco revealed yesterday that the Catalans are interested in giving Marcus Rashford his dream move to the Nou Camp after a fall-out with Amorim, United will only get around £40m minus a payoff he is likely to be due on his £315,000-a-week contract.

Sancho is set to return to Old Trafford if Chelsea pay a £5m penalty for aborting plans to turn his loan into a £25m permanent move. Sancho and Casemiro earn £275,000 and £375,000 every week respectively and will be hard to shift.

There are no guarantees that Real Betis can afford to buy Antony without Champions League football, and the worrying prospect for United fans is that the most sellable assets are Kobbie Mainoo and Garnacho, two diamonds of the Ten Hag era.

Mainoo got on in the 90th minute in Bilbao and is already said to be concerned about where he fits into Amorim’s system as contract talks drag on.

Garnacho and his family members were close to open rebellion after he was left on the bench for more than 70 minutes. Garnacho’s brother Roberto accused Amorim of ‘throwing him under the bus’ and the player himself was only marginally more tactful.

‘Today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,’ said Garnacho. ‘The final will influence [my decision] but the whole season, the situation of the club.’

And what of Fernandes, the captain and talisman so ineffective when it mattered most at the San Mames?

Talks have taken place between Al Hilal and his camp over a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia, and Fernandes suggested afterwards that he is prepared to go if it’s in everybody’s best interests.

‘If the club thinks it’s time to part ways because they want to do some cashing in or whatever, it is what it is,’ he said.

It is another huge decision facing United. They have got so much wrong over the past year, starting with keeping Ten Hag, who was swiftly followed out of the door by sporting director Dan Ashworth over his role in the decision to keep the Dutchman and then oppose Amorim’s appointment.

The Sporting Lisbon coach told them he didn’t want to come mid-season and warned United they were heading for trouble, but it went unheeded.

It was shocking to discover that United’s age-group teams don’t play a back three like the senior side, a decision apparently taken by Amorim, technical director Jason Wilcox and academy head Nick Cox.

What on earth happened to the ‘game model’ approach of having a consistent ethos throughout the club?

Backing Amorim is one thing, but there has to be substance to United’s support.

As they reach the end of May at another crossroads, taking the right turn feels more important than ever.