One pundit has claimed that Manchester United players are ‘losing faith’ in Ruben Amorim’s tactics as a huge problem against Manchester City was pointed out.
After four matches, Manchester United are enduring their worst start to a Premier League season since 1992/93.
Back then, the Reds recovered to win their first of 13 league titles, but such a turnaround looks out of reach this time.
United have collected just four points — losing to Manchester City and Arsenal, drawing with Fulham, and beating Burnley — while also suffering a shock Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Grimsby Town.
Ruben Amorim’s difficulties are clear, with his rigid approach and some of his team selections drawing growing criticism.
United players ‘losing faith’ in Amorim
In the latest defeat to City, Luke Shaw was caught out for the opening goal after Jérémy Doku found a pocket of space in between the lines.
Amorim’s system requires the centre-backs to be jumping into that space, but Shaw was too late, and Micah Richards believes that it would be much more easy for United to defend such situations in a back four.
The ex-City defender has suggested that United players are ‘losing faith’ in Amorim’s system, which does not platform anyone in the squad.
“They’re better than they’re showing but the manager is being so stubborn in what they’re trying to do, it’s not helping anyone,” Richards said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“And I feel like the players now are starting to lose faith a little bit. They don’t know what they’re doing.
“Yes, Luke Shaw for the first goal – he can defend better. But before that, if you rewind five seconds, if they were in a four at the back, everyone would know where to be.
They would know when to jump or drop off, but at the moment they don’t know what they’re doing, and it’s not improved in that aspect.”
Centre-backs tasked with too much under Amorim
The wide centre-backs are key in Amorim’s system, and everyone knows it. But there are question marks about whether their importance is too much.
Those two players are tasked with most of the progression in Amorim’s system, they have to jump into midfield every time a ball is played into those zones but also must be ready to cover for the wingbacks out wide.
If there are unable to do any of those things, then United will be struggling in games and that was evident against City, especially in terms of jumping into midfield.
You can say that the Reds just need players who can do all of those tasks consistently to a high level but it is a demanding role for even the top defenders.
When those wide centre-backs play well, United are usually better as a result, but it does seem difficult for them to have those kind of performances, and even just one instance where they fail to step up into midfield zones can be detrimental to the team.
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