Ruben Amorim never fails to confront suggestions that he is stubborn when it comes to sticking with the 3-4-3 system he is attempting to instil at Manchester United. The Red Devils head coach continues to insist that his instructions don't surround a system but more so his idea of playing football, which he tweaks depending on the opponent.
"It's not that I won't adapt. We adapt," Amorim explained last month. "Sometimes we have short goal kicks and then sometimes long balls, because the opponent is pressing a lot. I try to adapt to the players we have."
Andre Onana has proven him right.
Erik ten Hag recruited the 28-year-old from Inter Milan to replace David de Gea in the summer of 2023, completing a £47million deal.
Onana landed at Old Trafford with a superior reputation than the Spaniard with the ball at his feet; he is more confident in that area of the game.
However, United's goalkeeper has also contributed to an unsustainable number of costly mistakes, which appears to have sparked a U-turn in Amorim's demands.
Onana has transitioned from prioritising keeping the ball on the floor to actively searching for team-mates further up the pitch with long passes.
A report in The Athletic highlights that only five Premier League goalkeepers have 'launched' more passes this season.
According to Opta, a 'launch' is when a goalkeeper plays a high ball into space or an area for players to chase or challenge at a distance longer than 40 yards.
Of that quintet, only Crystal Palace's Dean Henderson has a lower completion rate - recording 25.5 per cent compared to Onana's 25.8 per cent.
Across United's last five matches in the Premier League and Europa League, Onana has 'launched' 20.4 passes per game on average.
His performance in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal on March 9 emphasises his new commitment to long balls rather than building from the back.
United produced one of their best displays under Amorim against the Gunners, and Onana's 29 long balls were the most in a single match since the Portuguese tactician's arrival.
According to The Athletic, it's no coincidence. Amorim is said to have recently instructed Onana to go long and avoid taking unnecessary risks if his short pass is under pressure.
The United boss has tweaked his game plans, encouraging the Cameroon goalkeeper to put his foot through the ball to reduce errors.
The report adds that the Red Devils have lost possession in their own defensive third 142 times this season, the sixth-most of any Premier League team.
Amorim won't want to take this approach forever, which could add weight to suggestions that Onana could be heading out the exit door this summer.
United's business will focus on players suited to his style of play, and that will include those who are comfortable progressing the ball from the back.