United in training on Wednesday
United in training on Wednesday
Ruben Amorim takes charge of Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time tonight against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League.
Amorim played at Old Trafford in successive seasons with Benfica and Braga in the Champions League back in 2011 and 2012 and tonight's tie is the first of two home fixtures this week, with Everton visiting on Sunday.
United have won two of their past 12 European matches but ended their winless run with an unconvincing 2-0 defeat of PAOK earlier this month.
That has left them in 15th in the 36-team Europa League and here are five things to look out for tonight:
READ MORE: Amorim warns Rashford
READ MORE: Why Yoro was absent from United training
All change in midfield?
Amorim was not completely blameless during United's anaemic draw with Ipswich Town. The selections of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in midfield were a throwback to the Erik ten Hag era and a backward step.
Kobbie Mainoo has been sidelined for nearly eight weeks and was completely unused on Sunday. Manuel Ugarte seems to be a consistently late arrival back from international duty, which ensured he started on the bench at Portman Road.
The hierarchy have identified the pair as United's main midfield for this season. It is time they started next to each other again. It has only happened once and it lasted a half.
Defensive returns?
Lisandro Martinez was welcomed back into training on Wednesday and Luke Shaw has been involved in team sessions for a few weeks now. Amorim said Martinez was available tonight and that he "didn’t stop too many times", which may indicate Martinez is better off as a substitute than a starter.
United could start one centre half in their back three. Shaw is an option at left centre back, with Noussair Mazraoui fresh from a decent stint at right centre half at the weekend.
Different attack?
Amorim has repeatedly stressed the need for rotation and Everton on Sunday marks the first of nine games in December for United. Bruno Fernandes' presence at the pre-match press conference would indicate he will start but the other two spots in the front three are not as concrete.
Marcus Rashford scored against Ipswich after 80 seconds and then did little else. Alejandro Garnacho has struggled as a starter since Ten Hag's last match in the dugout at West Ham. Amorim is not short of alternatives: Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund and Antony. None are compelling.
Not the Norm
Remarkably, Bodo/Glimt are the first Norwegian side to play United. Their eye-catching contests with Jose Mourinho's Roma three seasons ago put their name on the map and they have only lost six times this season (which started for Norwegian teams in April).
Twente are recent proof that being an unknown quantity is not a disadvantage for teams at Old Trafford. United have not won convincingly at home in Europe since Real Betis were dismissed in the Europa League round-of-16 in March 2023.
Into Ineos?
Hiking ticket prices to £66 without consulting matchgoers is one of the crassest acts by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos cabal since they got the keys to Old Trafford in February. A protest is planned on Sunday around the Everton match and it is worth keeping an ear out for any chants tonight in reference to the new ticketing costs.
In February, Ratcliffe said Trafford "is the oldest industrial park in Europe, it was the first industrial park in Europe, it's where the Industrial Revolution began... And that's why they built Old Trafford there. People would finish their shift and then walk to the ground."
United fans would be forgiven for quoting Matt Hooper from Jaws: "I don't need this working-class-hero cr*p."
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