Manchester United have struggled to get into gear under Ruben Amorim, and Sean Dyche has made a bold claim about the team and the system they use under the Portuguese coach
Sean Dyche on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast
Sean Dyche thinks he could be more successful at Manchester United than Ruben Amorim
(Image: No Tippy Tappy Football podcast / YouTube)
Sean Dyche reckons he'd be a better Manchester United manager than Ruben Amorim - and thinks using a 4-4-2 formation would work wonders.
Despite his reputation for straightforward, traditional tactics, the ex-Everton and Burnley chief insists he could thrive at a club like United given the opportunity.
"I may get hammered for it, but I bet I could win more games with that squad playing a 4-4-2," Dyche told ex-England boss Sam Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast. "People keep talking about his [Amorim's] philosophy and it isn't working. It's fine getting to five or 10 games, but once you get to 20 games, it clearly isn't working."
Since taking charge nine months ago, Amorim has secured only 16 victories in 43 matches as United boss, leaving him with a win percentage of 37 per cent - barely above Dyche's career record of 34 per cent. United's players have also struggled to adapt to the fluid, high-energy football Amorim successfully instilled at Sporting CP, with the squad looking a little uneasy in his three-at-the-back system.
To try to remedy the situation, United invested heavily in the transfer market: spending roughly £200million on a brand new attacking trio this summer and paying £26m in January for Patrick Dorgu, a wing-back tailored to Amorim's approach.
Dyche has argued this shows the squad wasn't initially suited to his methods, though he commended both the club and Amorim for persisting with their long-term vision. "I might be wrong because they've brought in three big hitters this summer, so it wouldn't work with the players they had, but maybe the new players will do better," he said.
Sean Dyche at Old Trafford
Dyche thinks 4-4-2 could be the answer to Man Utd's problems
"On the one hand, I like the fact they're sticking with it, and it is Man United. You're under massive pressure to get it right. But on the other hand, you wouldn't normally survive that situation. Amorim's been given more time than most.
"People forget that in Pep's first season, he made so many changes to the squad and played so many formations and finished 13 points off the top, nobody blinked. If he was at Real Madrid, he would have been sacked. But he learned and won the Premier League the next season."
Dyche's resume in the Premier League illustrates his knack for extracting results with limited means. At Burnley, he repeatedly moulded modest groups into hard-working, resilient sides, steering them clear of relegation and even pushing towards European football. His teams were consistently disciplined, tough to break down, and capable of punching above their weight.
Ruben Amorim and his Manchester United players applauding the crowd after their defeat to Arsenal
It's been a tough period for United under Amorim
At Everton, Dyche faced a contrasting challenge: working under financial restrictions while trying to stabilise the team. His no-frills, determined style helped keep them organised and competitive despite uncertainty off the pitch.
Even so, Dyche has never been given the chance to manage a heavyweight club expected to play expansive, attacking football. Whether his belief in installing a 4-4-2 at United would truly succeed is debatable, but his history of outperforming expectations with limited tools is undeniable.
Last season, the Red Devils hovered dangerously near the relegation zone, suffering 18 defeats and finishing a lowly 15th. Amorim will be desperate to deliver a stronger campaign, but his side opened the new season with a 1-0 loss to Arsenal despite an encouraging performance.