It was clear that something had to change at Manchester United, and after a series of failures, Erik ten Hag was sacked.
Ruben Amorim took over in his place. The Portuguese arrived from Sporting Lisbon, having won two league titles with the Lisbon team, so Manchester fans have high expectations of Amorim. No one has been welcomed to Old Trafford with as much energy and optimism as Amorim.
The young Portuguese expert built an empire at Sporting Lisbon, changing the stagnant order in this country where Porto and Benfica alternated on the throne.
Amorim will have to change a lot, and he did not hide it, but he did not know how much time he would need.
After the game in the east of England, against Ipswich Town, it became a little clearer to him… More than two weeks of working with the players were needed to fulfill a single thing he promised in his first address to the fans. This is not a criticism of the 39-year-old strategist but a reminder of his words and how much harder it is to turn them into actions in the Premier League than in the Primeira.
The Portuguese did change one thing at the start – the formation. He relied on the one that made him famous in Lisbon, with three defenders in defence.
It was expected because the Portuguese expert himself announced that it would be like that, although the fans were afraid because of the impression that the players he had were not suitable for his system. And it’s more than obvious after the first 2 matches, a draw in the Premier League and a win in the Europa League against Bodo.
What will the new United look like at the start of Ruben Amorim’s tenure?
Erik Ten Hag trusted the players he worked with at Ajax. It didn’t turn out to be a good policy. Brazilian Anthony was a flop, and summer acquisitions from Bayern, Mazraoui, and De Ligt could have been better, too. Marcus Rashford has “forgotten” how to play football for the past year, and we’ll see if he can return to the form of a few seasons ago when he was one of the best wingers on the Island.
Dutchman Joshua Zirkzee is unhappy with his status and could leave Old Trafford in January.
In the forward line, the only options are Rasmus Hojlund, Garnacho, Rashford, and Diallo, fighting for places behind the Danish striker. Bruno Fernandes should remain the ideologist of United’s game and under the command of his compatriot and the experienced Brazilian Casemiro.
Whoever hoped, wished, and expected tectonic disturbances at Old Trafford and a team twist in the lineup – was wrong.
That will not happen. There will be neither evolution nor revolution of Ruben Amorim. First, he will scan the existing, change the roles of the supporting and main actors in the dressing room, and only then decide which players will leave and which will be brought.
When it is determined who can and cannot function in the Portuguese expert’s system, he firmly believes that he can do something great with Manchester United.
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