A 3–1 defeat to Brentford on Saturday afternoon was just the latest low for Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United, with such results becoming the norm under the Portuguese coach.
Amorim was plucked out by INEOS as the right man to guide United out of the mire following years of peaks and troughs that seldom brought about sustained success.
The hotshot manager had worked wonders at Sporting CP and was doubtless an attractive proposition when the club finally parted ways with Erik ten Hag. However, under Amorim, United are only sinking to nadirs that many thought to be beneath them.
The Red Devils are continuing to break all the wrong records, and they’ve now embarked on their worst start to a Premier League season since the competition’s inaugural campaign in 1992–93. They’re yet to win back-to-back league games since Amorim took charge in November 2024, and although INEOS are desperate for this project to be a success, there’s no semblance of light appearing at the end of any tunnel on the red half of Manchester.
If Amorim is to turn things around at Old Trafford, here are three things he must do sharpish that don’t include ’spending more money’.
Change the System
José Mourinho has forever been critical of poets and dreamers in football, and although the new Benfica manager has previously spoken well of his countryman, Mourinho has also described managers willing to die by their ideas as "stupid".
Now, Amorim isn’t an idealist in the realm of Marcelo Bielsa, but the Man Utd coach is wedded to his 3-4-2-1 that has doubtless contributed to the Red Devils’ indifference under his stewardship.
"I’m not going to change my philosophy. When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man," Amorim commented after United’s 3–0 defeat in the Manchester derby.
Oliver Glasner has proven at Crystal Palace that you can be successful in the Premier League with a three-man defence. Amorim’s idea isn’t inherently flawed, but his installation of it most certainly is. Despite his supposed strong principles, Man Utd have long performed without a clear identity. It’s never been abundantly clear under Amorim how they’re going to score a goal and keep their opponent’s at arm’s length.
The build-up remains an issue, with United so often unable to build through the centre due to the presence of a redundant centre back in the midfield pivot. Wide combinations are key, as are low percentage first-time passes from the wing-back around the corner into midfield. Such sequences are typically rehearsed, but United seldom perform with the conviction of a team that always knows what’s going to happen next.
There’s a tactical rigidity to Amorim that‘s simply far too easy for teams at the highest level to exploit. It has little to do with the 3-4-2-1, but the predictability that permeates throughout the manager’s framework. There must be scope for greater positional fluidity and more encouragement of individuals to go off-script.
Without the ball, there are perhaps even more concerns, with the extra defender, in theory, providing another layer of security. Unlike many teams, United don’t press man-to-man and defend in a 5-4-1, which so often allows the opposition too much control of games. Teams have had plenty of joy bypassing their press and overloading their two-man midfield, with Amorim requiring one of his centre backs to step into midfield to combat this issue.
There’s a sense that United are neither here nor there within Amorim’s adored shape. If he wants a simple fix, he should analyse Glasner’s Palace.
Different Personnel
Is it wild to suggest that United’s personnel isn’t to blame for their woes?
Sure, voids remain in Amorim’s squad, most notably in midfield, but the Portuguese was able to utilise more than £200 million ($268 million) of attacking talent in his starting XI at the Gtech on Saturday. Combinations between Benjamin Šeško, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were pretty rare, but give them time to familiarise themselves with one another and United should eventually reap the rewards.
However, by sticking with a front three of summer arrivals, Bruno Fernandes will have to continue in a deeper midfield position. United’s inability to strengthen their engine room in the summer has presented Amorim with greater incentive to play his captain in the midfield pivot, but his drawbacks in the role have been laid bare on several occasions this term. Sure, he can aid the build-up and ignite transitions with swashbuckling switches of play, but he’s a defensive liability.
The issue, though, is that all of Amorim’s midfield combinations are flawed. The maligned Kobbie Mainoo has similar defensive flaws to Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte is yet to prove he’s the requisite level. Casemiro has been fine under Amorim, but who’s his ideal partner? Surely Mainoo is too talented to merely be a bit-part player?
In defence, Leny Yoro is still a teenager but has to be a cornerstone of this backline. United, for the most part, will be playing one game a week this season, so Amorim has the chance to pick a consistent three-man defence, assuming injuries are avoided. Lisandro Martínez is closing in on a comeback, too, so United could soon deploy a backline consisting of Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt (who’s far better in the middle of the three) and Martínez.
And while Altay Bayındır made several good saves in the defeat to Brentford, it feels like it’s a matter of time until Senne Lammens is starting games for Man Utd.
In a system predicated on routine and connections, familiarity is paramount. Mainoo must be reintegrated, Yoro has to start every game he’s available for, while Fernandes is surely better off in an advanced role.
Change of Approach in Media
Many United supporters were quick to laud Amorim’s “refreshing honesty” at the start of his tenure, as the Portuguese made the size of the task at his disposal abundantly clear.
The 40-year-old is a charming character who does speak with clarity in the media, but he does spend much of his time talking down his team. Amorim memorably wondered whether last season’s iteration was the “worst team in the history of Manchester United”. Perhaps an alternate approach is required from Amorim in the media to help get a tune out of his players.
United have suffered from making basic mistakes, and individual errors were at play again against Brentford. The Red Devils shirt weighs heavy, and some are failing to cope, but it’s fair to say that Amorim, so quick to publicly criticise, hasn’t yet proven to be the figure of empowerment on the touchline.
No one’s asking for Amorim to delude himself with faux positivity, but perhaps a less melancholic off-field tone will facilitate a more ebullient energy around the club in times of strife.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three Things Ruben Amorim Must Do to Stop Record-Breaking Man Utd Run.
