Ruben Amorim - Manchester United Head Coach

This is what can happen when your players don’t make stupid individual mistakes.

Just need to get through to the summer.
 
We need wingbacks and some more training sessions. There are some signs of improvement but it will take time. Today was a dull game - happy to have the 3 points
 
Anyone else thinking we are starting to reduce the opposition to limited chances? Seems we have made ourselves tough to breakdown. Most of the goals we’ve conceded have come from errors. Set pieces aside, we are looking quite steady at the back. Fulham were made to look toothless tonight and aside from Southampton, the last handful of PL games we’ve made done this. We really need to become a more attacking unit because there is a style of play and a constant shape to us, just a huge lack of attacking quality.
 
The formation thing is so overblown. Our deeper players are actually carrying our attackers. We need attackers that have enough belief to actually receive a pass in an opponent's box. Bar is low.
 
Malacia and Mainoo linked up well in the last part of the game on the left. That type of play is what any striker needs and we don't really produce it, our starting lineup really struggles to work the wide areas and supply balls. Sure Fulham chasing the game but it stood out to me and doubt the previous players are creating that move.

Wonder if Amorim might try starting Malacia and Mainoo out there, Malacia LWB, Mainoo left 10.
 
Maz and Dalit as wingbacks means 0 offense, don't see why he continues with it.
True, we should be playing Frimpong and Grimaldo....

I highly doubt it's what Amorim wants to be doing but his hands are a bit tied when the backups are Malacia and moving Amad to RWB (though he has been good there admittedly)
 
Malacia and Mainoo linked up well in the last part of the game on the left. That type of play is what any striker needs and we don't really produce it, our starting lineup really struggles to work the wide areas and supply balls.

Wonder if Amorim might try starting Malacia and Mainoo out there, Malacia LWB, Mainoo left 10.

Controversial idea but...Bournemouth are resorting to having to play Dango Ouattara up top since Evanilson and Unal are out injured. He looked amazing in that position yesterday and scored a hattrick.

What about Amad as a false 9? Hojlund and Zirkzee are offering us nothing. We keep playing long balls over the top into the striker and it's not sticking. It's not working. What about into Amad as a false 9 or into the space around/behind for him to attack?
 
Anyone else thinking we are starting to reduce the opposition to limited chances? Seems we have made ourselves tough to breakdown. Most of the goals we’ve conceded have come from errors. Set pieces aside, we are looking quite steady at the back. Fulham were made to look toothless tonight and aside from Southampton, the last handful of PL games we’ve made done this. We really need to become a more attacking unit because there is a style of play and a constant shape to us, just a huge lack of attacking quality.
We did that in away games but looked vulnerable at Old Trafford. Southampton are bottom of the table and created enough chances to score 2-3 goals in that 1st half.

So for me it's not enough games to suggest that we've improved defensively.

What's nice is winning from time to time to at least reduce the pressure on Amorim atm. And to be safe from relegation zone.
 
Controversial idea but...Bournemouth are resorting to having to play Dango Ouattara up top since Evanilson and Unal are out injured. He looked amazing in that position yesterday and scored a hattrick.

What about Amad as a false 9? Hojlund and Zirkzee are offering us nothing. We keep playing long balls over the top into the striker and it's not sticking. It's not working. What about into Amad as a false 9 or into the space around/behind for him to attack?

Yes I was thinking that yesterday, who else could play central and I only see Amad doing it to a good level, he was seen as a potential striker and scored a good goal before being loaned. We could have Mainoo left 10 and Garnacho right 10, Malacia LWB with Amad central stealing balls and holding up better with lots of tricks and running with the ball ability.
 
He badly needs a striker, with a first touch, speed, instinct and confidence.

Just a semi decent striker will do. All this talk of systems and yet no system would work with the options we have, we'd always struggle with the same problems of barely having any presence in the final third. We just don't have the options upfront.

We just need to get to the Summer and hope we make a few decent signings for once (we might need to sacrifice a few dozen goats).
 
Yes I was thinking that yesterday, who else could play central and I only see Amad doing it to a good level, he was seen as a potential striker and scored a good goal before being loaned. We could have Mainoo left 10 and Garnacho right 10, Malacia LWB.

If we had Bruno and Garnacho as the 10s with Amad as the false 9, you could rotate the three in that position. That could cause some interesting issues for the opposition defence, but it requires the three of them to have a better understanding of how each of the positions work, where each of the other players are, and when to stick and when to move. It's an interesting idea and one that I think we should be working towards anyway. I think a fluid front 3 is a must as we're too static.

The idea of Mainoo as a 10 is interesting and I thought the position he was in for that disallowed goal was great. The idea of Mainoo and Bruno switching is one that is worth exploring.

Basically, there are a few options there, but we need to move away from Hojlund and Zirkzee as the 9. They're not going to get us goals playing the way they did tonight.
 
Credit where credits due we are certainly more structured and defensively solid than we were under ETH.

By my god we are woeful with the ball, like really really bad.

I would like to think it's because he hasn't been able to coach his attacking patterns into them or we simply don't have the quality in the attacking areas. Particuly at WB and CF. But I am also a little concerned that Amorin may be compleatly out of his depth at this level. Only time will tell at this point.
 
If (a slight reach admittedly) you count the Arsenal penalty win as a win, we’ve won 4 out of our last 5 games.

The performances aren’t matching of course but hopefully a positive upturn in results.
 
Anyone else thinking we are starting to reduce the opposition to limited chances? Seems we have made ourselves tough to breakdown. Most of the goals we’ve conceded have come from errors. Set pieces aside, we are looking quite steady at the back. Fulham were made to look toothless tonight and aside from Southampton, the last handful of PL games we’ve made done this. We really need to become a more attacking unit because there is a style of play and a constant shape to us, just a huge lack of attacking quality.
Yes, but like against Brighton, far too many mistakes still. General defending has improved though
 
We spent nearly 300 million on Hojlund, Zirkzee, Antony and Mount.

Absolutely criminal.
With so much money we could have bought a world class attacking crew...
 
Selling Hojlund at what would be a gigantic loss would be an extremely poor and short-sighted decision. He needs to go on loan somewhere, ideally in a weaker league where he can find some confidence, score some goals and better learn his trade. Writing him off because he's not a Premier League-ready lone striker at 21 is asinine. It's indicitive of what a complete shambles the club is that he's been asked to lead the line pretty much solo for the past couple of seasons with so little experience (and despite that he still got 16 goals last season, proving there's talent there).
Doesn’t necessarily have to be sold, maybe loaned or very strictly a second or third choice striker for next year. I agree that it’s been a case of too much too soon for him and indicative of what a terrible state the club is in.

Amorim must be shocked at the state of this attack and the rawness and lack of quality.
 
People make a lot about Amorim and how stubborn he is about his system, myself included, however, he did change it tonight. The wingbacks inverted and the #10's played wide. It played to the strengths of the likes of Garnacho. Although, sadly, the team as a whole didn't really make enough of it.

The approach in possession is ponderous but I dunno how much of that is on Amorim and how much is on low confidence. I can't believe he's happy seeing our centre backs taking loads of touches and going square to each other. Licha is the only one, at the moment, stepping up with the ball and trying to break the lines with a run or a pass.

Central progression is average at best too, even when he drops Bruno in. Bruno, bless him, is not a deep progressor like Paul Scholes or Alessandro Pirlo. Nor is he going to pick up the ball and drive forward with it at feet through the press like a Fede Valverde or Fabian Ruiz.

How much better can this get, even if everyone starts playing with the same belief they'd have if Sir Alex was in the dugout? Still feels like an odd fit for so much of our squad. Hopefully I'm wrong. Feels like getting back on our feet is a lot of surgery away.
 
If the current bottom 3 get relegated we should be poaching Cunha, Delap and Dibling. Think Wolves have got enough to finish above Leicester though.
Delap? The last thing we should be signing is another young striker. We need attacking players who are proven at the highest level.
 
Another severe lack of quality.

Are we suddenly going to be playing 1 touch football with this lot?

He has an idea, clearly doesn’t have players good enough to play it, I see all this nonsense about being married to a system, how many people consistently play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.

Our recruitment is sh1t, has been for 10 years, this isn’t going to be a quick fix, no matter how good you think some of these players are, they aren’t as dominant as they need to be, they are too easily outrun, outmuscled, out worked.

What is the point in reverting to a formation that suits these players? We’re here because of these players.

Give Amorim time and find out where we are, regardless of what formation we play In the future, these players are not good enough for most of the teams in the PL.
 
Controversial idea but...Bournemouth are resorting to having to play Dango Ouattara up top since Evanilson and Unal are out injured. He looked amazing in that position yesterday and scored a hattrick.

What about Amad as a false 9? Hojlund and Zirkzee are offering us nothing. We keep playing long balls over the top into the striker and it's not sticking. It's not working. What about into Amad as a false 9 or into the space around/behind for him to attack?
The problem is that Amad is already needed for 2 other positions.
 
Strong words at the post match presser, saying he’d sooner put his goalkeeping coach on the bench than a player who doesn’t give full effort, in reference to Rashford.

Pretty damning.