Ruben Amorim vs Mikel Arteta: Sir Jim Ratcliffe backs Man Utd boss but how does his record at 50 games compare?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has cited Mikel Arteta's "miserable" start as Arsenal boss as a reason to have patience with Manchester United's under-fire head coach Ruben Amorim. But how do their first 50 games in charge really compare?

"Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years," the Manchester United minority owner told The Business podcast. "Football is not overnight. It's three years. You also look at Arteta. He had a miserable time over the first couple of years."

Arteta has gone on to justify the club's faith by turning Arsenal into consistent Premier League title challengers. But does Amorim have Manchester United on the same path to long-term success? And what do their records after 50 games in charge tell us?

Results compared

While Arsenal were a long way below their current level in Arteta's first 50 games, between December 2019 and April 2021, their record was much better than that of Amorim's Manchester United.

Arteta won 27 of his first 50 games compared to Amorim's 19, giving him a win rate of 54 per cent to Amorim's 38 per cent. Arteta lost 13 games to Amorim's 19, drawing 12 to Amorim's 10.

The goals scored columns are nearly identical, with Arsenal scoring 79 times to Manchester United's 78 under Amorim. But there is a big difference in goals conceded, with Amorim's side having let in nearly 60 per cent more than Arsenal, on 76.

Arsenal kept 18 clean sheets in Arteta's first 50 games, hinting at his capacity to make the side more difficult to beat. Manchester United, by contrast, have only managed eight shut-outs under Amorim. They have conceded three or more goals on nine occasions, something that only happened three times in Arteta's first 50 games at Arsenal.

League positions and silverware

Arteta inherited a team sitting 10th in the Premier League when he took the Arsenal job in December 2019. Manchester United were lower, in 14th, when Amorim took over at Manchester United.

Arteta oversaw slight improvement relative to his starting position, although Arsenal's eighth-placed finish at the end of his first campaign, including the interruption of the Covid pandemic, was the club's lowest since coming 10th in 1992/93.

Manchester United finished even lower than the position in which Amorim found them at the end of his first season, coming 15th in a record-low for the club, with a points total of 42 to Arsenal's 56 in Arsenal's first season under Arteta.

Both managers reached cup finals at the end of their first seasons. But while Arteta guided Arsenal to FA Cup success, beating Chelsea in the final having overcome Manchester City in the last four, Amorim suffered Europa League disappointment against Spurs.

Arteta was unable to improve on Arsenal's eighth-placed finish in his first full season in charge, with Arsenal ending up in the same spot in the table. They were ninth at the time of his 50th game, a 3-0 loss to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in April 2021, only a place higher than Manchester United's position at Amorim's half-century.

Formations used

Arteta showed pragmatism in winning the FA Cup, moving away from his favoured 4-2-3-1, which has subsequently evolved into a 4-3-3, and instead using a back three, a change he said was intended to make the most of the players at his disposal at that time.

Amorim has taken a more rigid approach, rigidly sticking to his favoured 3-4-2-1, despite external pressure to adapt his system. While Arteta showed variation in his starting formations in his first 50 games, Amorim has used a back three consistently, the only variation from 3-4-2-1 being 3-4-3.

Personnel compared

Bukayo Saka is the only player from Arteta's first Arsenal line-up still at the club this season. The England international was used as a left-back in their 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on Boxing Day in 2019.

There has been turnover at Manchester United under Amorim too, albeit in a shorter time frame, with five players who started the 1-1 draw with Ipswich in his first game in November of last year having gone, either on loan or permanently, in Andre Onana, Jonny Evans, Christian Eriksen, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford.

The pace of change was relatively slow initially for Arteta at Arsenal, although he was able to include Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey in his team for the defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in his 50th game.

Amorim enjoyed a win to mark his half-century as Manchester United beat Sunderland 2-0 last weekend with a starting line-up which included a raft of new faces.

Transfer spending

Arsenal's transfer spending has ramped up in recent years, culminating in this summer's record £257m spend. But the club's outlay was more modest over the course of Arteta's first 50 games.

Arteta mostly had to rely on loan signings and free transfers, with spending totalling only £81.5m across two transfer windows. Partey and Gabriel were the only players signed for significant fees.

Manchester United have brought in fewer players under Amorim but spent considerably more on transfer fees, with Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Senne Lemmens, Diego Leon and Ayden Heaven arriving for a combined £232.4m, dwarfing Arsenal's figure in Arteta's first two transfer windows.

As for sales, Arsenal only received a fee for one player during Arteta's first 50 games, with Emiliano Martinez sold to Aston Villa for £17m.

Manchester United have been slightly more successful on that front, recouping £61.7m from the sales of Garnacho and Antony.

So what's the verdict?

Have your say on which manager has done a better job in his first 50 games in charge in the poll below.

And what now for Amorim?

Let us know whether you think Amorim will come good long-term.

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