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Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes Ruben Amorim should utilize Bruno Fernandes as a False 9 in the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur. The sides clash at San Mames on Wednesday, May 21.
In his column for Caught Offside, however, Scholes acknowledged that the Red Devils' head coach will choose Rasmus Hojlund for the big game.
"I would try and start Amad and Garnacho in the final because they’re United’s two biggest goal threats, along with Bruno Fernandes. The best way might be to drop Fernandes back in the central midfield role alongside Casemiro, which has worked well in the past, especially in European games," wrote Scholes.
He continued:
"I think Amorim will start Hojlund in the final because he hasn’t been too bad in the Europa League. He’s looked like a real threat and scored some important goals, but in the Premier League, he’s been really poor."
Nevertheless, the former Manchester United midfielder pointed out that Amorim could learn from Erik ten Hag's approach for the Europa League final.
"If Amorim wanted to change things up, he could play Bruno Fernandes as a false nine just like Ten Hag did in last season’s FA Cup final win over City. I know he’s tried Kobbie Mainoo in that position too, but I don’t think he’s suited to it and Fernandes is a bit more mobile," wrote Scholes.
He continued:
"With Fernandes playing as a false centre-forward, you could also start with Casemiro and Ugarte in central midfield. There are plenty of selection dilemmas for Amorim, but I just hope he gets it right. The problem is the manager doesn’t know what he’s going to get from most of his players on the day."
Manchester United are currently 16th in the Premier League, while Tottenham Hotspur are 17th.
Have Manchester United played in the Europa League final before?
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Ruben Amorim
Manchester United have reached the Europa League final on two previous occasions. They first played in the final during the 2016/17 season under Jose Mourinho.
The Red Devils triumphed over Ajax and went on to lift the title for the first time in their history. The Premier League giants found themselves in the Europa League final again in the 2020/21 campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but lost to Villarreal in a penalty shootout. Manchester United will contest their third Europa League final on Wednesday, and a victory could transform their season.
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Deepungsu Pandit
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