Ruben Amorim has admitted that a change is needed for Manchester United to progress past a disappointing midweek penalty shootout loss to League Two side Grimsby Town.
Wednesday night saw one of the worst cup exits in the history of the club, where Manchester United lost against League Two side Grimsby Town after a lengthy penalty shootout and exited the Carabao Cup in the second round.
Ruben Amorim looked mortified, refusing to watch his team fail to beat Grimsby during penalties, and critics expressed their concerns with the manager’s tactics after the match.
During the post-match press conference, Amorim took responsibility for his players’ performances, which led to speculation about whether he was fit to lead the team past this period of calamity.
Amorim has admitted that he needs to bring about “change” in the tactical setup and highlights how adaptability may be the key to the Reds’ future.
Amorim refuses to rule out system change
The club disappointed expectations in the Carabao Cup, and failed at the first hurdle, using Amorim’s notorious tactical system, in which he has protested adaptability so far.
Speaking on Friday afternoon, Amorim was asked about his apparent inflexibility to change his system. He explained that while he is not going to say that he will never change his set-up at United, it would take him deciding that it would be better for his idea of football for a change to occur.
“Some coaches have the mentality: I’m going to put in this system, and then I’m going to change,” Amorim said. “What I’m thinking is that we have one system that adapts to different systems, and then, when everyone is doing this with their eyes shut, I’m going to change a lot of things.
“They asked me before I came, ‘Can you play in this system?’ I said, ‘I will do my system no matter what. If it’s okay for you, it’s okay, and then in the future I could change.’ I could wake up one morning and say, ‘I understand that, for my idea of football, it’s better to change,’ and I will change right away.
“I just want to win. But if I’m going to change because something is not working, I don’t believe the players will understand. They’ll think: this guy is telling us one thing, but he’s not believing in it. So it’s not about the system.”
Amorim sees mentality as key
United have been in despair for several years now, and with the new INEOS tenure, the club has implemented new methods to improve the situation on and off the pitch.
Here, Amorim highlighted that mentality is key for the team, wanting the players to believe in the way they are set up and perform at the highest level possible.
Read More: Ruben Amorim reveals why he didn’t watch Manchester United’s penalty shootout vs Grimsby
Key players such as Joshua Zirkzee and Amad seemed to fall victim to being played out of position, with the two getting limited minutes and failing to get onto the scoresheet.
All eyes are focused on the club’s next Premier League game against Burnley on Saturday, as the media and fans speculate as to who will start, and how they will be set up.
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