Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has backed Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim to continue with his under-fire 3-4-3 setup, offering some words of wisdom from his own success with the formation.
While Amorim is back under fire after a 1–0 defeat to Everton brought a 22nd loss in his 55 games at the helm, Glasner has earned real plaudits after a similar 3-4-3 system saw Palace win the FA Cup and Community Shield on their run to establish themselves as a genuine force in the Premier League.
Glasner’s Palace sit two points ahead of United heading into Sunday’s meeting between the two, before which he was eager to highlight the positives of a formation which has attracted plenty of criticism during Amorim’s time in England.
“It’s really funny talking about the 3-4-3 system, and I think United have the highest xG in the Premier League for scoring goals,” Glasner said.
"Their team has changed. Especially in attack. They needed more goals and they invested £200 million ($264.5 million), buying three players up front. Also, now they have players who can play very intense like [Bryan] Mbeumo.
“For me, it’s impressive to see. We compared it [their last meeting] to where they are now. I think their work rate is much higher than it was last year and then they get the reward.”
Glasner continued: “We’re playing the same system. So it looks like it’s a good attacking system. Also, as we show it, you can have a very good defensive structure with it.
“So it's all about what you do with the system and how fluid you are in attack and how creative you are. I’m really looking forward to the game.”
Amorim: Palace Using 3-4-3 Better Than United
Amorim, who has long pointed out that criticism of his formation often disappears when United win, bluntly confessed that Glasner and Palace are simply doing things better than his side this season.
“We play in a different way,” Amorim explained. “You can understand that by data. It is hard to explain everything. They are a different club and they are doing things better than us. That is quite simple.
“You don’t say that all 4-3-3 teams play in the same way. We play in a different moment, we defend in a different space, we attack in a different way. They are just doing things better than us.
“I played against [Glasner] in Frankfurt with Sporting, so I know the players. I take inspiration from everyone. When I take two weeks for an international break, I watch all the managers and try to take all the inspiration I can.
“I have six years as a professional manager, so I am always trying to learn.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘It’s All About’—Ruben Amorim Sent Formation Advice by Premier League Rival.
