Ruben Amorim, the new manager of Manchester United, is under extreme pressure. Meanwhile, the team has just gone through its worst start in the Premier League in 33 years. Amorim deserves great credit for maintaining his tactical convictions despite presiding over the lowest win percentage of any United boss since World War II. He’ll tell you that not even the Pope could change his mind on his precious 3-4-2-1 formation.
Since Amorim’s appointment last November, Amorim has averaged just over one point per match. This awful stretch has resulted in a troubling -13 goal differential. The nature of the club’s performance has drawn blistering rebuke. It’s under his stewardship that Manchester United have scored the fewest points in the history of an always-present Premier League side. His commitment to the 3-4-2-1 system aligns with his broader strategy to evolve the team’s play, although results have yet to reflect this vision.
Amorim hoped that he would get enough advanced notice in order to be able to make adjustments within his system. He acknowledged that while he sees a potential evolution of the formation, immediate results are paramount for both his position and the team’s success.
“This is my job, my responsibility, my life, I will not change that but I will change the system, there will be an evolution but we need to make all the good steps.” – Ruben Amorim
Despite Manchester United’s struggles, Amorim remains optimistic about his squad’s capabilities. He insisted on player positions, most notably when it comes to Bruno Fernandes. Amorim’s hope is that by having Fernandes operate further back into midfield the team will have more ball possession, therefore being able to dictate matches better and control them.
Bruno doesn’t just want complete freedom in his game—he needs it. Even when played as a No 10, that is not what he does—his priority is winning the ball back. Amorim noted. He stepped back from pronouncing Fernandes as the key to allowing United to control matches even if they’re undergoing a positional shift.
Recently, Manchester United drew against Fulham and Manchester City and managed to score against Burnley. This is a reflection of their inconsistent performance. For example, Amorim conceded that he sometimes misses having Fernandes play higher up the pitch. This feeling becomes even greater with Matheus Cunha out through injury.
Amorim responded to questions regarding Alejandro Garnacho’s high-profile move to Manchester United. After a £40 million January transfer to join Chelsea, he came back to Old Trafford. He waved away concerns about how this would impact team morale or performance.
“I’m not concerned about that. I just want to win games. I don’t care who is playing for the opponent, or what people are going to say in the end if the player plays well.” – Ruben Amorim
Despite the mounting pressure, Amorim is still supremely confident that he can eventually get Manchester United firing. He pointed to the fact that data and analytics show us how much progress is being made already. He understood that compared to the likes of Liverpool his players lack the confidence.
If I’m a player and I have a coach with a lot of pressure to change the system and I’m going to change in this moment, they will look at me in a different way. Now—during these chaotic times, especially—he said, we need that stability more than ever.
Amorim’s conviction in his tactical framework is a testament to buying into a long-term vision instead of a short-term solution. He’s been willing to embrace that challenge every day. The most important one is maybe confidence and purpose — making sure that there’s confidence in that squad.
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