A few days ago, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim had a brief chat with DAZN Portugal and insisted he’s not obsessed with his system.
The Portuguese coach was taking questions from fans, and one of those was related to his attacking tactics. Amorim was asked if he’d consider a more flexible approach in which the front three swapped positions continually.
When responding, the 40-year-old made a point of explaining he’s flexible with his tactics, continually changing formation: “We can say it’s a ‘four-four-two’, but five minutes later it’s a ‘four-three-three’ or a ‘three-four-three’.
“I’m open to everything. People think I’m fixated on one idea, but I simply start from a base.”
However, the proof would soon come in the pudding, or pastel de nata if you prefer.
Manchester United welcomed Everton to Old Trafford on Monday evening, with some optimism approaching the game.
The Red Devils had only played twice in November up to that point, thanks to a failure to qualify for European football. Neither game brought a win, but Matthijs de Ligt equalising in injury time against Tottenham Hotspur kinda felt like one so the vibes were all good.
Manchester United throw away good vibes
Idrissa Gueye helped out by getting himself sent off in the 13th minute, which somewhat gift-wrapped the match for Amorim’s men.
Except it didn’t. Amorim appeared to freeze in his own little world and watch on as his Manchester United side floundered against 10 men. The manager was enthusiastic after the match about Gueye’s slap to Michael Keane and said he hopes his players respond a similar way when a big mistake is made.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be anyone in Amorim’s backroom team who feels the same about coaching decision. If there were, then the manager himself may have had a red cheek from about 30 minutes onwards.
In his post match comments, Amorim suggested he needs to teach his squad how to play against 10 men. As if that were a new development in football he hadn’t been aware of previously.
Criticism for Manchester United manager
Portugal’s media have backed their man throughout his Old Trafford struggles. The general approach appears to have been that Amorim was great at Sporting CP, Manchester United are a football basket case, and therefore any issues have to be down to the club’s curse.
However, that may be changing.
Wednesday’s edition of O Jogo has an article which shouts: ‘TACTICAL RIGIDITY CONDEMNS AMORIM’
They cover his DAZN interview and how, despite those words about flexibility, his reality is something completely different.
Tactics against Everton contradict comments
Ruben Amorim Manchester United
Kuala Lumpur-Malaysia-28MAY25:Ruben Amorim manager of Manchester United in action during Maybank challenge cup
The Portuguese newspaper state: ‘Contrary to what he had stated in an interview with the DAZN platform, published the day before the match against Everton, Ruben Amorim did not change the Red Devils’ tactical system during the encounter with the Toffees. Even with the negative result from the 29th minute onwards – which would remain until the final whistle (a 1-0 home defeat). As has happened on other occasions, the Portuguese coach’s inflexibility has earned him much criticism in England.’
O Jogo go on to cover Carragher comments, before presenting a comparison for their Portuguese audience: ‘The loss against Everton, incidentally, has placed Ruben Amorim in another undesirable statistical record. Despite having 54 fewer Premier League games as United manager than José Mourinho, the former Sporting coach already has more defeats than the current Benfica manager. Between 2016 and 2018, the Special One totalled 50 wins, 26 draws and 17 losses in 93 games for the Red Devils.’
Now as far as the mainstream Portuguese media goes, that’s a change in tact from O Jogo. The presentation of a Manchester United problem as a failing of the manager isn’t something they’ve been keen to do.
It would appear the showing against Everton has changed that.