The Red Devils' boss has proven his side can mix it with the best teams, but the next challenge is to start winning consistently at home

In just two weeks and two games, Ruben Amorim has turned Manchester United from a laughing stock into a force to be reckoned with. The year 2024 ended with the Red Devils losing four games in a row for the first time since 1961, but the New Year has seen them head to the two best teams in the country and hold their own, taking a 2-2 draw from Liverpool – almost snatching victory but for Harry Maguire's inability to score from close range – before knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup despite playing with 10 men for an hour.

The fragility on display in their previous defeats by Newcastle, Bournemouth, Tottenham and Wolves was replaced by steely determination. While Amorim was calling his team "anxious" a fortnight ago, on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium he praised them for "suffering together". Micah Richards said United showed "passion and courage", words that no one was using to describe the team at the end of last year.

United's next challenge, though, is very different from going to Anfield or the Emirates and playing with their backs against the wall to get a result. After two of the toughest games on the fixture list, they face an ostensibly kind run of games against Southampton, Brighton and Rangers, all of them at home. Having done the difficult part, they must now navigate less choppy waters and show they are capable of winning the games they are expected to win.

GettyFrom torture chamber to party venue

Having made United a tougher nut to crack in big away games, Amorim's next task is to improve the team's poor home record by restoring the fear factor to Old Trafford. When Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, very few opponents enjoyed playing away against the Red Devils. United were unbeaten at home for the entirety of their title-winning campaigns in 1995-96, 1999-00 and 2010-11, and in the Scot's 405 Premier League games at Old Trafford across 21 season, his side were beaten just 34 times.

Since his departure in 2013, however, the Theatre of Dreams has been just that for the visitors. Indeed, the only thing for opposing teams to fear these days is the dressing room being flooded!

United have lost 42 of their 219 home league games since Ferguson left, meaning Old Trafford's away section, which once was like a torture chamber for visiting supporters, is now a party venue. And away teams have never had it as good as this season.

AdvertisementGettyRecord-breaking pace

Heading into this midweek round of fixtures, United had the seventh-worst home record in the Premier League this season, having picked up just 13 points from their 10 matches, losing five of them. If the second half of the campaign follows a similar pattern to the first, they will record their lowest amount of points at home in their 33 Premier League seasons.

That tally currently stands at 30 points from 2013-14, their nightmare campaign under David Moyes. United also recorded their highest number of home defeats that campaign (seven), another number they are in danger of exceeding this season.

United's fear factor at home had long gone when Amorim became coach in November. Last season, they lost nine times at Old Trafford in all competitions before tasting defeat in two of their first four home games of the current campaign before Erik ten Hag was sacked, being humiliated 3-0 by Tottenham and Liverpool.

But things have gotten even worse under Amorim, who has lost three out of four Premier League games at Old Trafford, thus becoming the first United coach since Dave Sexton in 1979 to preside over three consecutive home losses.

Getty Images SportAnxious and nervous

It was only two seasons ago that United earned a massive 48 points at Old Trafford and won a joint-record 27 games there in all competitions, losing only once in the league and beating all their major rivals. United's imperious home form in Ten Hag's first season (2022-23) turbo-charged their campaign, making amends for their patchy away results and ensured they finished third in the league. The Dutchman brought a siege mentality to every home game after losing the opener against Brighton and the team's style, geared towards fast counter-attacks, got the fans on their feet.

Save for the 4-0 win over Everton in his first home league game, matches under Amorim at Old Trafford have followed a familiar and worrying pattern: conceding the first goal in the first half – in the second minute against Forest and the fourth against Newcastle – and losing all hope. Amorim was bluntly honest when he declared that the entire stadium was nervous from the beginning of the game against Bournemouth.

The atmosphere was even bleaker against Newcastle, with the only noise coming when Amorim substituted Joshua Zirkzee to loud cheers from sections of the stadium. Old Trafford was deadly silent for most of that game, and the hopelessness seemed to seep into the players as they struggled to get back into the game.

Getty Images Sport'Why not every week?'

The funereal feel during recent games at Old Trafford is in massive contrast to the defiant atmosphere in the away ends at Anfield and particularly the Emirates, which Amorim described as "unbelievable".

United's fans are far from alone in creating better atmospheres away than at home for obvious reasons, as the fans who follow the team across the country are naturally the hardcore element and thus more vociferous. But there needs to be a collective effort to raise the noise at Old Trafford, and the players also need to play their part by showing as much energy and passion at home games against so-called lesser opposition as they have done in their last two away games, and as they did in the last-gasp win at Manchester City in December.

The contrast in efforts from the players was what led Amorim to show his anger after the Liverpool game because his players had not shown the same passion in the previous home matches.

"I’m pretty upset because if we showed this today against Liverpool, who are first in the league, at Anfield, why can’t we do this every week?" he said. "I wasn’t worried about everyone putting in effort today, because it’s Liverpool… But I will probably be more worried about Southampton after this performance, thinking it’s already good enough, because it’s not and it will be a really tough one again."