In the lead-up to Manchester United’s trip to Selhurst Park, Rúben Amorim has revealed one of the key differences between the two sides.
Since Rúben Amorim joined Manchester United last November, the Red Devils have deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation on every occasion, with no exception.
His stubbornness on his structure has led to much criticism for the Portuguese manager, despite what happened under previous managers at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag famously abandoned his system, albeit not his formation, after just two Premier League games and United never reached their full potential under the Dutch manager because of this.
After that disaster, you would be forgiven for assuming United fans would be happy with Amorim for sticking to his principles, and some are. However, some fans remain displeased because of the indifferent performances in a formation that hasn’t been seen at Old Trafford before.
Perhaps, most of the displeasure comes from Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace. They play a similar formation, but have had much more success. So, the question has to be asked: Why?
Amorim reveals why Palace have more success
Before the trip to Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon, Amorim revealed the differences between his system and Glasner’s, despite setting up in the same starting structure: “They are a different club [to us] and they are doing things better than us so that is quite simple.
“We play in a different way and they are just doing things better than us. They are doing things really well and they play more in transition than us. We have to look at all of these things when we compare our teams but of course, in every position, we can do so much better.”
The United boss’ claim that Palace “play more in transition” is interesting because Amorim has so many brilliant counter-attacking threats he could use. Bruno Fernandes can pick a pass that could unleash anyone in the frontline; Amad and Patrick Dorgu both have the speed to break with pace; Matheus Cunha can carry the ball through players with ease; Bryan Mbeumo was a transitional player at Brentford; and Benjamin Šeško is one of the quickest players in the Premier League.
While United are still struggling for amazing performances, Amorim should revert to a more transitional system, allowing his counter-attacking stars to unleash their full potential. His key principles could remain the same, and United could be much more dangerous.
Over the years, especially under Sir Alex Ferguson, United were known for their counter-attacking football, while they also had the ability to dominate the ball and break down the opposition. Amorim could return to this philosophy, and United fans would love to see it.
Amorim should make key change during AFCON
During the African Cup of Nations, United will be without Amad, Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui. They will be a huge miss and significantly impact United’s ability to break down the opposition, which they already find difficult.
Therefore, while United are without the key trio, Amorim must look to play more transitional, playing to the strengths of Cunha, Fernandes and Šeško. Dorgu, who will likely play every game during AFCON, will also prefer the counter-attacking style.
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If Amorim doesn’t make the change, United could be set for some disappointing results. The Red Devils seem to struggle more when they dominate the ball, so playing on the transition will help them pick up points against some defensive sides.
Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo could also benefit from a more transitional approach. They both have the ability to turn and quickly play a forward pass, or carry the ball through the opposition when they are forced to run backwards.
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