Ex-Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has urged Rúben Amorim to change one thing in order to save his job as pressure starts to mount.
Manchester United slipped to their third league defeat of the campaign as Manchester City stormed to a 3-0 derby triumph at the Etihad.
Rúben Amorim handed Benjamin Šeško his first Premier League start, yet it was Pep Guardiola’s side who struck first. Phil Foden broke the deadlock midway through the opening half, punishing United despite their efforts to respond before the break.
City tightened their grip after the interval. Erling Haaland doubled the advantage with a precise finish, then swiftly added a second to end any hopes of a comeback.
Bryan Mbeumo and Casemiro both threatened to reduce the deficit, but their chances went begging. Under persistent Manchester rain, City closed out the contest with authority, sealing an emphatic derby win.
Mourinho’s advice to Amorim
Comments made by former United boss Jose Mourinho have re-emerged and gone viral once again after Amorim vowed not to change his tactics, despite it being evident that it wasn’t working during the game against City.
Speaking to the Mirror, via GiveMeSport, he said: “Today, there’s no such thing as a single game model,” he said. “There are many ways to play. There’s no longer a tactical system, there are many ways to build and defend.
“This means training in a much more tactical way, where players must grow and acquire new knowledge. The problem is wanting to copy and paste without the necessary conditions to do so.
“There are coaches who try things that don’t work and fail, but they say, ‘I died with my idea.’ If you die with your idea, you’re stupid. Coaches have to adapt their ideas to what they have.”
He added, “Today, coaches whose names I don’t even know go to the Premier League, and I don’t say that without respect, it’s true.
“Some coaches are chosen by dates, numbers, not by victories. Perceptions are created, and today the idea is sold that, more important than winning, is playing like this, looking like this… at that level, things have changed radically.”
Amorim needs a Plan B
Despite not being largely successful since he came in last season, Amorim has insisted on his system that brought him so much success during his time managing both Braga and Sporting Lisbon.
United play in a 5-2-3 formation, aiming to quickly regain possession if they lose the ball higher up the pitch, and often have an extra player in defence to bolster the back line.
It was evident today that Amorim needed an alternative plan to counter City’s formation, which saw United’s two midfielders being overrun by City’s four, allowing them to cut through the two, no matter who was in the pivot.
While there was some good play out from the back owing to the extra man there, the midfield and attack were simply second best to City.
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