Analysis

Manchester United: Ruben Amorim needs a year to get his side firing again, says Paul Merson

Sky Sports' Paul Merson has his say on Ruben Amorim's challenge at Man Utd, Mohamed Salah's Liverpool contract situation, Man City getting back on track, Arsenal's title hopes and Gary O'Neil's future at Wolves...

Paul Merson

Football Expert & Columnist @PaulMerse

Saturday 7 December 2024 19:48, UK

Amorim needs this season to evaluate

I think the manager is using this year to see what he needs and what he doesn't need. He can play certain players in certain games, to see who's going to show up in these big games. By the end of the season, he'll know he can rely on, who he needs to keep and he'll know the people that he needs to get rid of that are not going to help him one bit.

He's having a look. It's no good to keep on playing the same players every week and they get through and win a game here, win a game here, come fifth, sixth in the league, and then move on again next year. That's got to stop. This is Manchester United. They're one of the biggest clubs in the world, no doubt about that.

They need to, not write off a year, but just see who they need and who they don't need. We see it with internationals like Germany and France and teams like that. They have a bad couple of competitions and they reset; they write one off and then they come back and win a trophy.

I think that's what Man Utd have got to do and I think that's what he's doing. To do what he did in Portugal is no luck. You have to be an unbelievable manager to do what he's done, and I think he'll get it right, but it will take him time. It will take him at least a year.

I'd give Salah a new two-year deal, no more

We're only hearing it on the grapevine, but we're hearing two years with a year option to Mo Salah. That's a long time.

I'd give him 300-400 grand a week now. Of course I would today, because he's doing the business.

I'm his biggest fan. I think he's world-class. I'll say he gets in every team in the world. He's a winger and he's top scorer in the Premier League. It's just absolutely amazing the numbers he puts up week in, week out, year in, year out.

But in two-and-a-half years' time, that's a lot of money to be giving someone if they're not doing the business then.

Football changes. If it didn't, we'd all still be playing still! The one sure thing that happens in football is, the older you get, the slower you get. That's a fact. Otherwise, Usain Bolt would still be winning the Olympic 100 metres. For me, if it was a two-year contract, I'd give it to him, but I wouldn't give him the option of another year. I understand Liverpool 100 per cent.

I know people will say they've got to buy someone and it will cost them more, but they will have to buy someone sooner or later. He's not going to go on until he's 40, 41 years of age, so you're only kicking it down the road.

Arsenal can stay in the title race

If they can get their best team on the pitch that beat West Ham, then they've got a chance. The one that beat Sporting Lisbon was their best team. If they get that on the pitch every week, they can get on a run, win six, seven games on the trot.

I said on Super Sunday a few weeks ago, the gap to Liverpool had to get down to six points before it went to 12. It's down to seven at the moment. Both have got difficult games this weekend, Liverpool and Arsenal.

Arsenal have just got to stay in there, keep everybody fit, and you never, never know. But they won't be far off. With Odegaard back, they're a completely different team.

When you're struggling, play your best players - that's what Pep did

No one likes losing football matches and all of a sudden, you get into a rut. It's just happened with one of the greatest teams that ever played football.

I'm not telling Pep Guardiola, he's one of the greatest managers of all time. But I always think when I was a manager - and I was manager on a much, much lesser standard - someone told me one day, whenever your team's struggling, get the best players on the pitch. Even if they're not playing the best or they're struggling with a bit of form, get your best players on the pitch.

On Wednesday night, he did that. He got Kevin De Bruyne on the pitch and he is their best player when Rodri isn't playing. He makes things happen. Last year and the year before, Jack Grealish played in all the big football matches for Pep Guardiola, and [against Nottingham Forest] he did that.

What Grealish does, he holds the ball and he draws players in. Now, when he draws players in, that means someone's spare. If you're leaving people like De Bruyne free and Bernardo Silva free and Jeremy Doku free, you're going to get ripped to shreds.

I know the result was 3-0, but Forest had a couple of big chances at 1-0. If one of them have gone in, who knows? It could have been a different game. Man City started really well and went 1-0 up, but if it goes to 1-1, does that confidence drain again? We'll never know, because they went on and got the second, but it's the start of a run.

Knowing Man City, they'll go and win the next 13!

Wolves fans will have a big say on O'Neil's future

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Former England and Arsenal player Paul Merson speaks on Sky Sports News about the pressure Wolves boss Gary O'Neil and West Ham's Julen Lopetegui are under, as the two teams prepare to face each other on Monday

There's one thing for sure as a manager, the only people that get you the sack is the fans. It's very rare fans are singing your name when you get the sack.

This is a big, big football match this weekend for Gary O'Neil and Wolves against West Ham. I look at this game and I think, if either manager loses this football match, he's going to be under severe pressure from their fans.

I'm not saying from the board because they might have good relationships. But, as I said, the fans get you the sack. When the fans want you out, it's very, very rare that you can stay there.

The board listen to the fans. Otherwise, if they don't listen to the fans, then they turn on the board. The board don't want them turning on them so they listen to the fans.

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