Ruben Amorim - Manchester United Head Coach

I thought he would’ve already started training. We have a high amount of players who didn’t leave for international breaks. This could’ve been a pre-season of sorts especially with the barrage of games coming soon.
 
I thought he would’ve already started training. We have a high amount of players who didn’t leave for international breaks. This could’ve been a pre-season of sorts especially with the barrage of games coming soon.
As ideal as that would've been, it wouldn't have been possible seeing as he only got his work visa on Friday
 
L
Lindelof injured now. He'll have two fit CBs for Ipswich. I'm thinking he might try using Ugarte as a half-back at this point.
Defensive midfielders and fullbacks can also play there.

It’s important to implement the new system and improve through repetition. Anything else will just delay the inevitable as there’s always going to be teething problems.
 
“United cannot play the way we play, they cannot be so defensive. We will have to adapt.”

“I know how I am going to play in the beginning because you have to start with a structure that you know. We don’t have a lot of time to train, so I have to show something that I know very well.”


These quotes for me point to a back 4. United don’t know how to play a back 3 with wing backs. He acknowledges there isn’t much time to train, and I think the last bit means he is aware he has to deliver from the start ( just my interpretation I could be wrong) as opposed to imposing a system that he knows but the players don’t.
You are not wrong, but you are also not 100% correct, I think what he meant by (United cannot play the way we play) is that United cannot play a defensive style, not United cannot play back 3, in the second statement, I think Amorim is referring to what he knows in terms of his own principles of play and those principles can be achieved with a back 4 as well, which could be the reason why he would perhaps start with a back 4 and then gradually transition to his favored formation of back 3, he might also go ahead with a back 3 as well, we will see, either way, I think what he wants to achieve at first is his players adhering to his principles.
 
Tactical and formational overhauls will take time. He's unlikely to send the players out with a completely unfamiliar set up after just 5 training sessions.
 
I hope we get his press conference today, now that he’s gotten his work permit. I’m excited to hear him talk more about his vision for the club. No doubt he’ll be asked about certain topics, especially Rashford and the players returning from injury.
 
I hope we get his press conference today, now that he’s gotten his work permit. I’m excited to hear him talk more about his vision for the club. No doubt he’ll be asked about certain topics, especially Rashford and the players returning from injury.

I would assume his first presser will be around Thursday for Ipswich
 
“United cannot play the way we play, they cannot be so defensive. We will have to adapt.”

“I know how I am going to play in the beginning because you have to start with a structure that you know. We don’t have a lot of time to train, so I have to show something that I know very well.”


These quotes for me point to a back 4. United don’t know how to play a back 3 with wing backs. He acknowledges there isn’t much time to train, and I think the last bit means he is aware he has to deliver from the start ( just my interpretation I could be wrong) as opposed to imposing a system that he knows but the players don’t.
Unsure if you watched the presser or just read his quotes, but in the interview it was very clear he was referring to the way sporting set out defensively with 30 something % possession and riding their luck in the game.

He also says he needs to show something that he knows very well, which basically confirms 3 at the back because that's all he knows. When he tried 4 at the back at the very start of his career, it was terrible and he almost quit all together because it wasn't suited to his style.
 
Tactical and formational overhauls will take time. He's unlikely to send the players out with a completely unfamiliar set up after just 5 training sessions.

surely if it takes time they have to start learning it? you think we will train 3-4-3 and then play games with 4 at the back ?
 
People put way too much focus on the number of central defenders. There's much more to a gameplan and strategy than numbers of a formation.
 
surely if it takes time they have to start learning it? you think we will train 3-4-3 and then play games with 4 at the back ?

No because then you have to train both formations.. you cant just send a team with a formation you don't train.

Especially when we have games every 3 days, there will be no time to train 2 different formations.

We are better off training and playing the same formation. In our build up, we are used to using the 3 at the back anyway.
 
I think we will be playing 3 at back from the off. He said we will see from 1st game the idea. So he will start off with 3 at back and build from that. Week by week and game by game we will stick to it, best way. It will take a while until players adjust to it but needs to be done.

Then he will know the players that suits it and then come the transfer window move on ones that are not needed.
 
Tactical and formational overhauls will take time. He's unlikely to send the players out with a completely unfamiliar set up after just 5 training sessions.
It is not like they have never played a different formation in their life. They are professional football players, most of them will have played a system with three defenders somewhere in their life with former clubs or national team. Ipswich is the best game to start with it and get some more experience with it. And then practise more against Bodo and Everton. Or would you start with it against Arsenal or City after a couple of weeks?
 
Odd that people think 3-4-3 or a variation of it, is some unknown tactic to professional footballers.
Even though Southgate regularly used 3-5-2. The South American players and ones from the continent, definitely will have played 3 at the back at international level.
Even Amad's national team Ivory coast have flitted between 442 and 343!

Granted, there will be some teething issues at first.
 
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If you were to implement a new formation it is best to do this against Ipswich (no disrespect) than against Man City Arsenal or Liverpool. So 3 at the back we go from the first game
 
A first impression may mean little but it can be the start of everything. Defending his players, playing without fear and maintaining a clear identity. Amorim has a clear vision. But with Rashford, Shaw and Maguire still in the mix I find myself torn between doubts and fears. Despite, I still have hope.
Maguire gets lumped with these 2 a lot but let's be fair, his attitude in and around the club has always been brilliant and he's always been available amd always tried his absolute best, even after losing the captaincy. I think he's a like for like backup/competition for De Ligt.

I agree that Rashford and Shaw need to go though.
 
United match going fans don't deserve Pogba, let them keep signing Bruno's name as he spams nearly half of his passes into row z. The fact Pogba never had his own song is all you need to know about the environment he got here.

I hope he finds a club that appreciates him and he can get back to his best, which is absolute genius.
This post is genius. Witchery. It’s everything
 
Do we have 3 center backs ready for the next game?
De ligt, Evans and?? Is Martinez OK now?

Very nice slim pickings to start 3 at back.

Even if Martinez is ready, we will only have Yoro, as a CB on the bench.
 
Do we have 3 center backs ready for the next game?
De ligt, Evans and?? Is Martinez OK now?

Very nice slim pickings to start 3 at back.

Even if Martinez is ready, we will only have Yoro, as a CB on the bench.
I'd expect Mazraoui to start at RCB.
 
Odd that people think 3-4-3 or a variation of it, is some unknown tactic to professional footballers.
Even though Southgate regularly used 3-5-2. The South American players and ones from the continent, definitely will have played 3 at the back at international level.
Even Amad's national team Ivory coast have flitted between 442 and 343!

Granted, there will be some teething issues at first.

Yeah I agree. it is a funny worry people have when they say we don't have CBs for a back 3 and we need to buy CBs or WBs who know how to play a back 3, as if there are CBs and WBs out there who have been training since the youth teams to play those positions. All the defenders who play in a back 3 have come up playing in a back 4 and have been coached to play in a back 3 at some point in their career. Same with the wingbacks. All our CBs with some coaching can play in one position or the other in a back 3. At WB just due to more demands for stamina and 1 on 1 attacking I can see the argument more but even then, both Mazraoui and Dalot are perfectly capable to play those positions, as are Shaw and Malacia if we ever see them. Even the wide CB positions shouldn't be an issue as the majority of CBs nowadays defend 1 on 1 in the channels anyway. Its not as big an issue as some people make out.
 
Yeah I agree. it is a funny worry people have when they say we don't have CBs for a back 3 and we need to buy CBs or WBs who know how to play a back 3, as if there are CBs and WBs out there who have been training since the youth teams to play those positions. All the defenders who play in a back 3 have come up playing in a back 4 and have been coached to play in a back 3 at some point in their career. Same with the wingbacks. All our CBs with some coaching can play in one position or the other in a back 3. At WB just due to more demands for stamina and 1 on 1 attacking I can see the argument more but even then, both Mazraoui and Dalot are perfectly capable to play those positions, as are Shaw and Malacia if we ever see them. Even the wide CB positions shouldn't be an issue as the majority of CBs nowadays defend 1 on 1 in the channels anyway. Its not as big an issue as some people make out.

Exactly this. I mean in our build up under Ten Hag we played a 3-1-6 so the players kind of know it right?

Also defensively, they have been so used to being isolated, how many times last season were our defenders left 1 v 1 ? They are used to this, when you play for top teams, you are expected to be able to deal with those situations.

Dalot played at Inter on loan in a similar system? Onana has played in a similar system. De Ligt has played various formations with Bayern, Juve, Netherlands.
 
Tactics don't matter right now. The first priority will be to get the players … putting 100% effort in.

Then we can worry about formations...
“Just go out and have fun and express yourselve lads” :rolleyes:

If that’s really where we are at then Amorim is as helpless and doomed as every other manager since SAF.
 
He talked about his "identity" several times in the interview, as opposed to tactics/formation/pressing etc. Maybe it has been discussed here already but does anybody know what identity can we expect in Amorim's squad? If I think about some of our past managers, SAF was aggression, LVG was possession, Mourinho was counterattack(?) and ETH was fast transitions.
I think he is on to something with the focus on identity. It has not only to do with playstyle tough, but with giving everything on the pitch, by realizing the history and weight of playing at MU.

I would want to see more interaction from all the players with the fans: some of them seem to full of themselves.

I believe Ten Hag tried to do the same thing, but he focused on a winning attitude. I suppose he succeeded in winning two cups, but the cracks were there which showed in the league especially. So many games we couldn’t get over the line.

In terms of playstyle Amorim isn’t that different from Ten Hag. Playing out the back, progressing forward quickly and pressing. Basically modern football.

The formation is both the same and different, both coaches play 316/325 in attack.

He’s a different person and will come at the project in a different way; we all hope he’s the one to succeed in making us compete again in the league.
 
90% sure we won't use full backs at both wings ever.. Because on Amorims system the wing players aren't full backs, more wingers or wide players. So at least one of them is like Garnacho or some other winger.

I am honestly gonna ask that do some of you don't follow football outside of United or what's the plan here? Because it's been discussed everywhere how 3-4-3 ain't 5 at the back any cost ever. And some still insist that we will play with back 5 now.
From what Sporting fans have said, he started off playing fullbacks in those positions (albeit being played very offensively). Then after a year or two he changed one of them to being a winger, and later changed the other to a winger as well.

So it could go either way. He may feel he needs fullbacks there at first to keep us somewhat solid while the team gets used to what needs to be done, and then eventually change one (or both) to a winger so as to overload the attack. Or it may have been a case that he was experimenting with the different tactics, and he's now set on having wingers there straight away. None of us will know until we see his first few games (indeed it wouldn't surprise me if he's not set on either yet and he'll be experimenting to see which works best with us).