Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has defended his tactical approach after Jose Mourinho claimed managers who stick rigidly to failing systems are 'stupid', following United's 1-0 defeat to Everton
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim has responded to suggestions surrounding his Man United tactics.
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Jose Mourinho has previously stated that persisting with your philosophy despite failure is "stupid" amid ongoing scrutiny of Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils' five-game undefeated streak ended on Monday following a 1-0 loss to Everton, though the Old Trafford manager has already dismissed claims he is "fixated" on his tactical approach.
David Moyes' 10-man side comfortably secured victory despite spending more than an hour a player down. The result saw United squander the chance to climb into the top four and strengthen their Champions League qualification hopes.
Questions over Amorim's methods have resurfaced after his side failed to capitalise on their numerical superiority or exploit the openings created against Moyes' outfit. The Portuguese coach has come under fire for maintaining his tactical blueprint throughout a challenging 12-month spell at Old Trafford.
Mourinho relocated to Portugal earlier this year upon taking charge at Benfica. The legendary Portuguese manager addressed the contemporary trend of coaches rigidly adhering to their systems during testing times.
"We're in a generation where we see coaches trying to do things that just don't work and they die," he said via The Athletic.
"But they say, 'I died, but I died with my idea.' My friend, if you died by your ideas, you are stupid."
The five-match unbeaten streak saw United claim three victories and two draws, propelling them up the league standings and easing the pressure on Amorim.
During that spell, they defeated bitter rivals Liverpool to demonstrate they are no longer easy opposition, having previously struggled against them before his arrival from Sporting CP.
United have shown they can compete with their Premier League counterparts, but have frequently faltered against weaker sides. Amorim faced intense criticism heading into this campaign after being unable to halt last season's decline, following his appointment as Erik ten Hag's successor.
Prominent ex-players have criticised Amorim throughout his time in the Premier League for his reluctance to alter his tactical approach, including club legends Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney.
Amorim has previously been forced to justify his decisions and methods to United greats questioning him and dismissed suggestions once more that he is unwilling to adapt following the loss to Everton.
He said: "We did it against Liverpool, it wasn't with Bryan Mbeumo, it was with Cunha. And it's an option that we have, and nowadays, everyone, I think not only in the English league but in the Portuguese league, in all leagues, there's a great variation in how things are structured.
"We might say it's a 4-4-2, but five minutes later it's a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3. And therefore I'm willing to do anything, contrary to what many people think that I'm too fixated on one thing.
"I simply start with a basic foundation, but obviously, we can use it in the future. And we've already thought about that with Bryan [playing central] because he's very strong in transitions.
"I do think it's the best position for him [out wide] because he likes to be hidden, he doesn't like people watching him. He can attack, be more dangerous on one of the flanks, either the right or the left, rather than as a striker, but it's a good option, therefore I'll be able to use it in the future as I did several times at Sporting."
Amorim's remarks will undoubtedly satisfy Mourinho, who firmly believes top managers must show flexibility during difficult periods.
The 40-year-old United manager had previously insisted his tactical approach wasn't the problem. He said: "It is normal and you cannot run away from the results and then you have baggage from last season but for me last season doesn't matter.
"We had six games this season and we lost three. We have to look to the games we lost, if we lost against Arsenal due to the system, it is your job to make the opinions. City and Brentford the way we gave away goals and created chances, it is nothing to do with the system. If we look to the games we didn't win, people have different opinions and that is okay."