Also, for continuity sake - it’s a weird formation and what happens if we sack this manager in a year? Do we now need to go and find another needle in a haystack 343 manager on the market? Or do we have to see these wing backs as they are neither good enough to play full back or winger for the next manager? What about our youth teams? Do we start developing wing backs now? After all, the message seemed to be about developing some sort of club ‘game model’, and as old school as it sounds - this is just not Manchester United’s, for me.
We haven't played a flat 4-4-2 since before SAF left, and even after SAF when we have started with a flat back 4 they have more often than not moved in possession to a 3.
In answer to "the United way" if we are attacking at pace with flair, bringing through players from our academy who go on to be world beaters, fighting until the 95th minute, that is the Utd way and then I reckon it doesn't matter what formation we are playing.
As for specialising, as I see it our issue now is that we do not have Luke Shaw fit, if we did he would be a shoe in for LWB, if we are signing a LWB and a RWB and then we switched back to a flat back 4 we would still either have players good enough to play FB or on the wing, the issue is not having these players but finding them, if we have enough CB to play a back 3 not sure how that becomes a problem, in the fullness of time we might need to sell one or two but as long as we do not pay daft wages we should be ok, if we have 2+ midfielders capable of playing 6 then that is a massive improvement of an issue we have had for years, multiple players capable of playing 8 and 10, again cannot see the issue, I just do not get how we will end up with a team another manager will not be able to use, we might end up with excess players for some positions and need to cut some, and sign a couple more, but it will not be a wholesale change 1 - 11, and even if we signed a new manger who played the same system you would still expect at the very least a few in and a few out.
The worst case as I see it under Amorim, if he doesn't work out would be potentially losing Rashford and/or Garnacho if they do not work under his system, then not having that talent if playing with traditional wingers.... funny though how everybody wants to jump of Rashford and Garnacho for not tracking back, now we are moaning about signing/playing wing backs who will be tracking back.
If I had my way all football would go back to 4-4-2 it is just a lot better to watch, maybe it will come around again someday