Ruben Amorim ignored advice from one of his Manchester United players and it seemed to backfire in the Europa League final.
Manchester United delivered a miserable performance in the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, ending their season on a new low.
Conceding early due to weak defending came as no surprise—it’s been a recurring problem all year. More disappointing was the lack of attacking threat. Amad showed some early energy but disappeared in the second half.
Bruno Fernandes was well below his usual standards, and with him off his game, no one else stepped up to provide any creativity against a defensive unit.
Failing to score in 90 minutes against a Spurs side equally prone to defensive errors is nothing short of shocking and ultimately United did not deserve to win the game.
Amorim ignored Mazraoui’s positional advice
Ahead of the game, Noussair Mazraoui was asked about the different positions he’s played under Amorim and what he thinks his best role is. The Moroccan was very honest.
He explained how he feels like he is best when playing as a wide centre-back, claiming that the wingback roles need players with better ability when playing one-on-one, like Amad.
“I have some qualities which fit perfectly with the position, like in the right centre-back, I really like to go forward with the ball,” he said. “So in the build-up and break the lines, that’s something I can do good. So I’m comfortable on the ball.
“But it’s not like attacking as wing back. And wing back, a lot of times you come in a right wing position. For that, you really need like Amad one-v-one skill. That’s maybe not my biggest strength.”
United have not looked good when defensive players have been at wingback but Amorim has continued to stick with it and did so in the final, with Mazraoui playing at wingback and Amad ahead of him.
What ended up happening was Amad was isolated too often and Spurs defenders were overloading whenever he got the ball. He needed that extra attacking player to support him on that side.
Wingbacks are huge problem at United
Amorim’s wingbacks at Sporting were known for their attacking qualities and we’ve seen him use Amad there too, but other attacking options have not been tested in the role.
There is no reason why Alejandro Garnacho could not have been used in this position more often. So many times we have seen the wingback receive the ball in space on the flank. That is the Argentine’s dream scenario. Having the extra centre-back should allow for someone who isn’t as defensively strong.
While there is a clear problem up front, United also need more than two or three naturally offensive players in their team. The wingbacks need to be dangerous and Mazraoui is aware of that.
There hasn’t been too much talk about new wingbacks being signed this summer, but it has to be an area which is addressed.
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