Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White has hailed Ruben Amorim for masterminding an "incredible" Manchester United resurgence ahead of a crucial Premier League showdown at City Ground. At the end of September, United were being written off as a sinking ship. A humiliating 3-1 loss to Brentford left Amorim’s side stranded in 14th place and seemingly spiralling toward another season of disappointment. But after a sensational October, the narrative has flipped on its head.
AFPAmorim’s stunning turnaround
Amorim’s United have roared back to life after putting in a series of performances that have propelled them to sixth in the Premier League standings. They started October with a gritty 2-0 win over high-flying Sunderland. Many feared that the two-week international break would dent their momentum, but the Red Devils shocked their critics after churning out a historic 2-1 victory at Anfield to end a nine-year jinx. The squad started to believe, and then riding on the bright form, they dispatched Brighton 4-2 in a pulsating encounter at Old Trafford on Saturday. Suddenly, the Red Devils are back in the European mix and are just six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
AdvertisementAFPGibbs-White wary of United threat
Gibbs-White has admitted he is an admirer of Amorim’s transformation job. Speaking to , the Forest playmaker was full of praise for how United have rediscovered their identity.
"It’s been incredible to see, obviously they’ve been going through a tough time in the past couple of years," he said. "But they’ve stuck with the gaffer [Amorim] and the past four or five games, you’re really starting to see how Man United should be playing, that grit and that determination to want to play for the badge. I feel like it’s been incredible to see, it’s something I feel like the league has missed."
However, while Gibbs-White respects United’s resurgence, he has warned that Forest must not get drawn into the hype.
"All we can do is focus on ourselves, we can’t focus on how Man United are doing and how their performances are because if we do that, we’re just almost bowing down to them," he added. "We’ve got to focus on what we want to do and how we can win the game. I feel like this week we’ve already started to implement some ideas, and obviously we’ve still got a few more days until the game, so I’m sure the gaffer [Sean Dyche] will have more ideas of how we can beat them."
Amorim's tactical evolution at Man Utd
A major reason for United’s revival lies in Amorim’s subtle but significant tactical tweaks. Early-season criticism was fierce, with fans tearing into his rigid 3-4-3 formation, accusing him of being too stubborn and naive in the Premier League. But instead of abandoning his philosophy, Amorim refined it. Without the ball, United now defend in a compact 5-4-1 shape, with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro forming a disciplined midfield block. They get additional help from Luke Shaw, who has been instructed to step into midfield when out of possession, creating an extra body in the press. The changes have made United harder to break down, and the results are there for everyone to see.
Club legend Rio Ferdinand, who lifted 14 trophies in his 12 glittering years at Old Trafford, is among those who has been pleased with the recent changes. On he hailed the manager's flexibility to tweak his ideas to suit the players.
"I admire it to a certain extent. But like I said, I think he was playing Russian Roulette with his job. I don't think he's changed drastically; he's just tweaked," he said. "That's what a lot of fans were asking for. Just tweak what you've got. Maybe don't be so much on the front foot, maybe be a bit more conservative at times when we haven't got the ball. You can't press, press, press for 90 minutes, unless you're an absolute beast of a team. PSG do it. This manager couldn't do that with this squad."
GettyA fourth victory on the trot at Forest?
While United climb the table with renewed purpose, Forest find themselves in dire straits. Ange Postecoglou has been shown the door after a disastrous spell, and Sean Dyche’s first Premier League game in charge ended in a sobering 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth, leaving Forest 18th with just one win from nine matches. A rejuvenated United side, brimming with confidence, might be licking their lips at the opportunity to register a fourth straight Premier League victory. This would mark United’s best run since February 2024 and indicate a genuine transformation from an early-season disarray to a top-four contender. However, Gibbs-White will be out to try and spoil the party.