The coordination of the defensive line already looking like an Amorim team...
He definitely seems to be targeting the defensive organization first, he's even said that the attacking patterns are the most difficult to drill/take the most time. Which makes sense I suppose and why you see managers coming in to struggling teams often make a point of fixing defense first. Would love to get your thoughts on the video below comparing Amorim's United against his Sporting side -
Essentially, he's pointing out 3 main differences -
1. Amorim's United are not yet as patient in building out from the back. The team will often go to the wingback during the build up and get 'trapped' by pressing teams. In these situations, Sporting would often just cycle the ball back to the goalkeeper and start again finding the free man on the opposite flank, or have the confidence to play down the line on the flanks with either the striker or the near sided #10 making the run out wide. At United, the backline does not seem to have the confidence to be patient in the build up to play back to the GK and start again, or the technical finesse to play down the line and so, often will try to force the switch to the opposite flank. Picks out Dalot in particular as being guilty of trying to play the switch to the opposite flank directly with a diagonal, and that this pass is quite risky and one Amorim will want to discourage because if intercepted, it leaves the team quite vulnerable in the center.
2. United's midfield is much more fluid positionally compared to Sporting, where roles were quite well designated. This means that when when United try to progress from the wide areas, often the near sided #10 (and he picks out Bruno in particular of being guilty) will drift wide to receive the ball to feet. The #10 then tries to play the striker down the line or switch. Ideally, the wing back would be the one playing the striker down the channel rather than going through the #10, leaving the #10 in the 'correct' central position to make the run into the space vacated by the striker running the channel. In our case, if (say) Dalot has the ball wide and (say) Bruno drifts wide to receive it, Dalot passes to Bruno who then turns and plays in (say) Hojlund into the channel, all our players have drifted wide and Bruno is not in position to run into the space vacated by Hojlund and Dalot being behind Bruno is not in a position to fill it either. This seems like it can be fixed by just getting a left footed LWB who is more comfortable playing it down the line. Lack of a left footed left back was an issue under Ten Hag even with Shaw and Malacia MIA so definitely one to fix in the transfer market.
3. Once United have progressed further up the pitch, the positioning of the wingbacks is too high compared to at Sporting. At Sporting, the wingbacks would often start their runs from a deeper position and get the switch of play from the midfield/wide center backs trying to play them in behind the defensive line. At United, because the starting position of the wingbacks is so aggressive, the deeper players playing the switch are often forced to play the ball into feet for the wingbacks rather than in the space in behind the opposition - because the wingback has already made the movement so high, the opposition defensive line drops deeper earlier, leaving less space in behind to hit the ball into. Not mentioned in the video, but you can see the point demonstrated by the winner against City - Martinez can play Amad in behind the City defensive line because Amad starts the run so deep.
Feel like some of these are just teething issues caused by trying to implement a new system mid-season. More time with Amorim on the training pitch, and pre-season in the summer, should hopefully iron out at least the positional issues. Still time for Wilcox and Vivell to earn their paychecks and improve the technical and athletic base of the team in the transfer market. Whether Amorim will succeed where his predecessors failed I feel like is largely down to whether United can get the recruitment right.
