Rúben Amorim has already bucked Manchester United’s most dangerous trend, but he must make another big change

Rúben Amorim has already done well to buck a dangerous trend at Manchester United, but there is a big change he must employ in the coming weeks to succeed.

Despite him making it clear from the start that Manchester United would have to suffer before they succeed, the Rúben Amorim era is not moving as smoothly as many fans hoped.

Amorim wasn’t brought in to salvage the season but rather to build something to become competitive in future seasons. United fans unanimously accept that the squad is not good enough and some key incomings are needed, although without sales this is difficult for INEOS.

However the dire results and generally uninspiring performances – there have been some excellent ones – have led many to question Amorim’s methods, wondering whether or not he can get more out of the players he has at his disposal.

So what should Ruben Amorim’s focus as Manchester United boss be – principles or players?

Amorim is bucking a dangerous trend

For all the talk about adapting to the players, this is what every United boss in recent years has done at some point after realising what it would actually take to instill the principles they wanted.

Results have come from sitting in a block and looking to score goals in transition. This can only last for so long, and eventually bosses will try to expand to play the football they want but results will take a turn for the worse and they ended up losing their job, with the next manager there to take over a messy squad after years of mismanagement above board level.

Amorim is doing it differently; he is sticking to what he wants to do even if the results aren’t going to go his way, which goes against a trend that he has seen multiple managers sacked from their jobs at Old Trafford in the last decade.

He has started life at Old Trafford slower than the other managers following Sir Alex Ferguson have but wants to build something to last and is determined to do so his way.

Amorim could get more out of what he has right now but throwing aside his plans to adapt to his current players isn’t necessarily the best way to do this – especially if many of the players are not seen as suitable for the club’s success going forwards.

Many have suggested he change his formation to a back four, which does not always mean a change in principle. Teams with a four often build with a base three – as Matthijs de Ligt spoke about in an interview last month – and some of Amorim’s best football has come when one of his wing backs drops to form a four. Which brings us on nicely to the next point.

United fans need to see bravery

The reality is most football fans don’t care about up-back-through sequences in the buildup phase, or possession shapes, movements, etc. What they want is to be excited by their team playing football.

Right now, Amorim setting his team up in most games does not set United fans up to be excited because it almost neglects the attack. As mentioned above, some of the best football has come when one wing-back drops to form a four base, and the other wing-back – usually Amad operating there – pushes higher.

This asymmetric setup is more complicated for teams to defend and gives United more presence in attack. Yet right now, Amorim is persisting with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui as his wing-backs. The two are top footballers in their own right and have been ever-present for United this season with the joint-most appearances, but neither of them are best optimised in the wing-back role.

Dalot and Mazraoui are amongst the best in-possession players in the league in their position, but neither of them is an attacking specialist. With them as the wing-backs, United’s back three becomes a back five. Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo do not complement each other well in midfield and neither are strong passers of the ball – albeit Mainoo has improved in this aspect and continues to do so.

This leaves Bruno Fernandes and Amad as the dual 10s with either Rasmus Højlund or Joshua Zirkzee up front. Amad often pulls wide, with United lacking threat and presence there, and Mazraoui will arrive in the 10 space when settled in the final third to link up with him.

Fernandes often drops to help out in the midfield, and his tendency to not dribble much does not always lend itself well to the role. Then Zirkzee tends to drop to the ball, whilst Højlund occupies the centre backs and looks to run beyond the last line.

In short, by playing the full backs United do at wing back the attack lacks threat from wide, relies almost entirely on the front three, and often they are isolated because of how the team is functioning.

Then when United lose the ball it is easy to play around or through them because the wing backs are positioned too deep in the 5-2-3 pressing shape. United almost invite pressure onto themselves. The best games out of possession have come when they are positioned higher.

Often teams will just sit in a block and let Amorim’s side have the ball with the knowledge that United will not be able to break them down, then they will play around or through them, as Brighton did on Sunday afternoon with such ease.

Whilst it is important for Amorim to build the team in his image, United fans need to see more excitement and bravery. Right now, the Portuguese coach is not setting his team up in a way that brings this.

Amorim needs to commit to having one winger, whether it is Amad or Alejandro Garnacho, at wing-back consistently now. Doing this allows for better implementation and execution of his principles, and makes the team much more threatening. United should not be setting up in such a passive manner so consistently.

If United are to lose then let it be so. But it is better to lose having been brave with the approach than not.

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