I do not understand Manchester United. They extend EtH´s contract only to sack him a few months later. Then they give Amorim an ultimatum to come mid-season or never and implement a system for which he doesn´t have the right players. Surprise. It does not work, and we are even worse than under ten Hag. Come winter, we could not manage to sell the players who does not fit in, and only brings in Dorgu and Heaven. Will it get better? Yes, but slowly. Should we have waited for Amorim until summer and got him a better fit of players for his system. Big yes. This is BS. I would have kept Ruud on until summer and probably ended up somewhere between 6th-9th in a system that fits the players. (I know it is not working for him at Leicester right now). We are setting Amorim up for a sacking-discussion that is unfair. His system is not working out, and he refuses to be flexible about it. He is the exact opposite of EtH. EtH was bought to play Ajax-Ball here but instantly saw, that he could not do it. He bend his system to the players, and it worked out pretty well for a year or so. Afterwards it went bad partly through bad transfer decisions but also through bad luck in the injury-department. Amorim is bought to play Sporting-Ball and cannot do it while the player-budget is spend on EtH-players. He must obviously do with what he has, and it is a pain to watch. The management of this club is beyond stupid, but Amorim is not faultless either.
Our problems are obvious:
1: Amad and Dorgu has to be the wingbacks from now on. No more Amad at 10. No Dalot or Mazraoui except for games where we will have to stand back and defend. They are allergic to crossing the ball and doesn´t get anywhere near the dangerous areas in transitions. That leads of directly to our next weakness.
2: The 9 position. I call it the Robinson Crusoe-position. Isolated, surrounded by hostiles. It really doesn´t matter who plays there. The 9 is set up to fail. No service and outnumbered. Without attack-minded wingers and crosses, we might as well play without a 9. This might get better with Amad and Dorgu though, but only if...
3:...We need to solve the passing problem in the final third. We have three players who can play a surprise pass, but only one of them can do it with one touch. He is on the bench and does not have the legs for pressing high. We need a young Eriksen, but until we have the funds to buy one, we will have to do with the original. Our attacking play and control is much better, when he is on the pitch. I want Eriksen and Bruno linking up with Amad and Dorgu setting up the 9. At least until summer, when the dane is hopefully being replaced.
4: The pivot. We need a young Modric or Kroos, but we will have to do with Ugarte/Collier/Mainoo. Ugarte should always play, and Mainoo is the best option against weaker teams. Collier is the better physical option.
5: Bayindir in and Onana out.
6: Yoro and Mazraoui need to play CB for speed. Harry or De Ligt, but not both, when we are standing high, which we must in the Amorim-system.
7: I like Garnacho, but he has no real position in the system. He is not good enough defensively as a wingback and he doesn´t cross. He can play the 10, but he really is a super talented winger, which we don´t need in this system.