A Manchester United trio against Athletic Club has exposed what Rúben Amorim’s real problem has been at Old Trafford, and it’s already being fixed.
Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United booked their ticket to the Europa League final in style, turning on the flair in a 4-1 win over Athletic Club at Old Trafford—sealing a thumping 7-1 aggregate victory.
Things didn’t start quite to plan, though. Despite a comfy 3-0 lead from the first leg, United looked half-asleep early on and were stunned by a cracker from Mikel Jauregizar. Alejandro Garnacho had a golden chance to respond before the break but fluffed his chip, leaving United trailing on the night—though still very much in the driving seat.
Cue Amorim’s second-half shake-up. On came Amad, Luke Shaw, and Mason Mount, and suddenly United had a spring in their step. Mount curled in a beauty to level things, Casemiro nodded home to put them ahead, and Rasmus Højlund slotted in a third with a grin.
But the best was saved for last. Mount, clearly enjoying himself, launched an outrageous strike from near halfway to grab his second and wrap up a brilliant night at Old Trafford. Spurs await in the final—but for now, United are flying high.
Amorim’s substitutions were exceptional on the night
It has been well documented in the last few seasons that United fans had been growing frustrated with poor substitutions, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær making no changes until the 100th minute in the 2021 Europa League final a standout bitter memory.
However, Amorim’s “exceptional” decision to throw Shaw, Mount, and Amad on flipped the game on its head, with all three players introducing a sense of quality and calmness into the side.
Mount’s impact was easy to see. His equaliser and fourth stunner started and capped off a fantastic 20 minutes for the Reds, but what has not been highlighted is that he also won two of his three attempted tackles, made one interception, also actioned four defensive actions and won four of his six attempted duels.
Amad’s impact was equally as evident. Once he was reintroduced, much of United’s attack flowed through him. He grabbed an assist for Højlund’s goal and made Athletic Club think twice about pushing forward as they searched for goals toward the end of the tie.
Shaw’s impact was less obvious but just as profound. With United under the cosh and Athletic Club pushing for goals, the home side kept losing the ball. However, Shaw’s composure and pinpoint passing at the back allowed the club to ease pressure and dominate, to fight back and win the tie.
Amorim’s real problem is already being fixed
There have been many theories about why Amorim has so far struggled to find consistency at United, with some pointing toward the players while others feel it’s the head coach’s formation and tactics.
However, the introduction of Shaw, Mount, and Amad last night proves beyond a doubt that the real problem at the crux of Amorim’s issues is that he simply has not been able to work with his best talent due to injuries.
All three players, plus Kobbie Mainoo coming on in the final ten minutes and garnering praise, are all stars who have recently returned from injury and have been unavailable for Amorim for a significant amount of time.
The way they flipped the semi-final second leg on its head is evidence that, with the best players available to him, Amorim knows how to manage and win high-stakes games, but has been unable to do so due to the number of injuries in his squad.
However, with the aforementioned four now back in the squad, plus the hopeful returns of Matthijs de Ligt and Diogo Dalot in the next two weeks, Amorim will hopefully have an almost full squad at his disposal for the final.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.