Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Manchester United comes after the sacking of Dutch Erik Ten Hag who got United off to one of their worst starts to a season ever.
With the arrival of the Portuguese manager, there is a wave of excitement among fans, who are hopeful for a transformation under Amorim, who comes with a different philosophy and an aim to implement the 3 at the back tactic.
Amorim’s debut came against Ipswich on Sunday in the Premier League, and it was a mixed bag. United got off to a flying start thanks to Marcus Rashford who scored in the second minute, opening United’s tally under Amorim.
However, the early breakthrough didn’t translate into a victory. Ipswich fought back in the same half and gained momentum, eventually scoring just before halftime thanks to Omari Hutchinson. Onana had to also make a few big saves to deny Delap from giving Ipswich the lead. In the end the two sides shared points after a hard fought draw.
With new players and managers come not just fresh tactics but also a surge of fan enthusiasm—new chants, creative expressions, and banners often follow.
While Liverpool’s Arne Slot was welcomed with a chant inspired by Jurgen Klopp, Amorim’s debut saw Manchester United fans unveiling a banner that has left the football world scratching their heads.
The banner, displayed in the away end at Ipswich, read: “Rhymes with Amorim. Will City ever win again”.
Written in what appeared to be hastily scrawled black letters on what some have speculated was a reused bedsheet, the banner has since gone viral for all the wrong reasons. Its cryptic message, lack of rhyme, and questionable craftsmanship have made it a subject of ridicule across social media.
Football twitter was quick to pounce on this shambolic attempt at a banner. One baffled fan, long after the Ipswich game tweeted, “Monday morning and I’m still wondering what rhymes with Amorim.” Others were rather unforgiving, “F**king state. there with the worst flag I’ve ever seen,” and “Be honest, who’s going to own up about bringing that horrendous bedsheet with them yesterday?”
The banner, thanks to it’s woeful rhyming has also fallen flat in it’s attempted dig towards Man City who are struggling with injuries as well. This is mainly because “Amorim” doesn’t rhyme with “win again” in English or likely any other language. One fan had this to say about rhyming words and Amorim, “I still have no idea what is supposed to rhyme with Amorim?”
As the banner continues to circulate online, it seems unlikely anyone will come forward to claim responsibility for the gaffe. For now, social media collectively hopes for two things: that this embarrassing banner doesn’t make a second appearance and that someone with actual creativity can craft a banner worthy of welcoming Amorim to Manchester United.
After all, the new manager deserves better than a rhyming disaster.