Ruben Amorim finally seems to be losing the support of a big section of Man Utd fans, but he can change the narrative by simply doing what he has already done against his next opponents.
Manchester United face winless Wolves up next after a demoralising 1-1 draw against West Ham showcased their worst trait – the inability to beat low blocks.
For a team that has European ambitions, beating a rock-bottom Wolves side isn’t just hope; it should be an expectation, but that simply isn’t enough anymore.
Are you confident Man Utd will beat Wolves?
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Ruben Amorim is alienating a section of Man Utd fans on a philosophical level, and he can start fixing that by making the two decisions he made against Wolves last season.
Tyler Fredricson of Manchester United U21 looks on during the Bristol Street Motors Trophy match between Huddersfield Town and Manchester United U21 at John Smith's Stadium on November 12, 2024
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim was brave against Wolves last season
It is becoming increasingly clear that despite the Man Utd manager’s insistence on leaving last season behind and moving forward, that season has changed him on a fundamental level.
Gone is the manager who called up Godwill Kukonki to senior training out of nowhere and lavished praise on him, or the manager who threw the kitchen sink at Lyon in the Europa League.
The last time United met Wolves away from home was in April, and despite a 0-1 loss, Amorim was credited for being extremely brave.
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He fielded a lineup that had four academy graduates, including a debut for Tyler Fredricson, who shone on his maiden appearance.
THIS is how Manchester United lined up to face Wolves in their last meeting…
Ruben Amorim named four academy graduates as starters as Man United lost 1-0 to Wolves at Old Trafford
Man United's line-up to faces Wolves in the 2024/25 season.
Man United’s line-up to faces Wolves in the 2024/25 season.
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Besides Fredricson, there was Harry Amass bombing down the wing, while Kobbie Mainoo and Chido Obi also played a part in that one.
Amorim rolled the dice on a youngster in a tense away game, and Fredricson repaid that faith. The same goes for Amass and Obi, while Mainoo was looking good in a new position.
There are two simple things he can repeat this season.
Amorim needs to get closer to Man Utd’s ethos
It’s no longer about winning games, although that will certainly help, but for Amorim to repair his connection with the fans, he needs to start understanding the ethos of the club.
He can start by giving some minutes to Shea Lacey, who he says doesn’t play because he has senior internationals on the bench.
He played Fredricson out of nowhere last season, so he can clearly do it, and his reasoning is extremely weak, because if youngsters never got chances ahead of internationals, no new internationals would ever emerge!
The second thing he needs to do is restart experimenting with Mainoo as an advanced midfielder, because he said so himself, how the player is good in tight spaces near the box.
Roll the dice on a youth player, a la Tyler Fredricson, last season
Rekindle the “Mainoo No. 10” experiment
Mainoo, as a No. 10 shone in multiple games last season, but for some reason, he is being typecast as a slow and methodical defensive midfielder this season.
The odd goal aside, Joshua Zirkzee is not good enough to be a regular starter at Man Utd, so playing Cunha/Mbeumo/Mainoo as a fluid front-three makes a lot of sense.
These two things aren’t even asking a lot of Amorim. There’s no tearing up the playbook. It’s literally about him repeating what he has already done in this very fixture last season.
Will his ego allow him to do it? Fans are not very hopeful of that anymore.
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