Rúben Amorim has addressed the chances of keeping his new Manchester United system even once his missing key players return.
Manchester United see out the 2025 calendar year with a home clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford.
Rúben Amorim has endured a difficult year in charge, but a recent 1-0 Premier League victory over Newcastle, along with a rare clean sheet, has offered signs that momentum may finally be building.
The two sides met earlier this month, with United claiming a comprehensive 4-1 win at Molineux. This time around, though, the Reds will be missing a number of players through injury and Africa Cup of Nations duty.
With the New Year approaching, Amorim will be eager for his side to turn in a professional performance and take all three points as they continue their pursuit of a Champions League place.
Amorim addresses permanent system change
Much has been made of United’s formation under Amoirm, but amid the losses of Amad, Bryan Mbeumo, and Noussair Mazraoui to AFCON, the system has changed. Speaking ahead of the Wolves tie, Amorim insisted that even once the trio are back, the new system can stick.
“It’s a process,” Amorim said. “When I came here last season, I understood that maybe I don’t have the players to play well in that system [3-4-2-1] but it was the beginning of the process.
“We are trying to build an identity and today is a different moment. When we are playing well in our system that is the moment to change if it’s the better thing to do to win the next game, like we did [against Newcastle].
“We don’t have a lot of players [at the moment], and we need to adapt, but they already know and understand why we are changing,” Amorim said ahead of Wolves’ visit to Old Trafford.
“It is not because of the pressure from you guys or the fans, it’s because now we understand the way we want to play, and the principles are the same.
“We can change system, and I think we are going to become a better team because when all the players return, we are not going to play all the time with three defenders. We are going to improve.
“But when you talk [previously] about changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand that I’m changing because of you and, I think, that is the end for the manager.”
So, when we are playing well in our system, I think that is the moment to change if it’s the better thing to win the next game. That is what we did today [vs Newcastle].”
Amorim waxes lyrical about Fernandes
United will be without Bruno Fernandes for around a month after the player’s hamstring injury against Aston Villa two weeks ago. Still, speaking on Friday evening, Amorim admitted that the club captain remains involved with the squad.
“He cannot be that guy that is not playing, not talking and not speaking,” Amorims said. “He’s always speaking. That’s why he’s the captain and he has bad things sometimes the way [he] moves his arms.
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“But he has a lot of good things and he’s always leaving the game, the practice every time, every time he makes recovery from the game, he’s the guy that is going to watch the other guys training in that day. So there is a lot of things that you guys don’t see that he does. He’s a great leader now.”
When pressed to answer that even when Fernandes can’t play, does he remain part of the squad, Amorim confirmed so.
“Yeah, all the time. He’s the guy that is watching the trainings even after treatment and is going [out] there. I don’t know if he wants my job or not, but he’s a leader. The guy is a leader.”
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