Ruben Amorim has not been the most popular man in Manchester this season for a variety of reasons, but he’s shown an incredible Sir Alex Ferguson-like tendency in the buildup to the Bournemouth game.
On paper, it’s a game for Man Utd, who have lost just once in their last nine, against a Bournemouth side that has failed to win their last five.
However, United know better than most how threatening Bournemouth are, having been beaten by The Cherries 3-0 in the last two games at Old Trafford.
Will Manchester United end the four game winless run against Bournemouth?😳
Back to back 3-0 defeats at Old Trafford to the Cherries… can Ruben Amorim break this curse?
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Therefore, Ruben Amorim could use any advantage to give his side a leg-up, and he has borrowed a play right from Sir Alex Ferguson’s playbook to turn a disadvantage into an ace in the hole.
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Ruben Amorim created uncertainty before Bournemouth game
Being compared to Sir Alex Ferguson for any Man Utd manager is as big a compliment as it can possibly get, even in the smallest area/parameter.
One of the legendary manager’s biggest strengths was how he used the media to set narratives and control the message.
It often played havoc with the opposition, as the likes of Rafa Benitez’s “FACTS” and Kevin Keegan’s “I’d love it if we beat them!” rants come to mind.
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What Ruben Amorim has done in the buildup to the Bournemouth game won’t have Andoni Iraola frothing at the mouth quite like Keegan and Benitez, but it’s nonetheless extremely smart.
United had potentially a big disadvantage going into the game, with the AFCON trio of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad, and Bryan Mbeumo’s availability under a cloud.
IF Amad, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui aren’t available… who replaces them in each position?🤔
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As expected, it was one of the key questions he was asked in the press conference, but instead of clearing the air, he added to the uncertainty.
It’s difficult to believe that the manager of Man Utd does not know a day before the game whether three of his most important players will play the game!
Clearly, Amorim is keeping his cards close to his chest by not ruling them out or confirming their presence, and it’s a tactical masterstroke.
This will lead to Bournemouth having to plan with and without three crucial players in the opposing XI, which makes a world of difference, making it quite a curveball for Iraola to deal with.
United have even cheekily hinted at the status of Bryan Mbeumo, for example, but these are exactly the mind games which distinguished Sir Alex as well.
Amorim might have many doubters about his tactical model in England, but he is certainly getting the hang of the antics off the field.
This is not the first time Amorim has created uncertainty over his team selection ahead of a game, as he said he had two unnamed doubts before the game against West Ham.
One of them turned out to be Matthijs de Ligt, which has led to Ayden Heaven’s resurgence in a new role out of nowhere, while the clarity over who the second was is still not there.
It could have been Mason Mount, who was on the bench for that game, but it continued a theme of Amorim creating uncertainty.
The Premier League is a game of fine margins, and nobody understood it better than the master of winning it – Sir Alex Ferguson.
Amorim has borrowed a trick or two from the greatest of all time, and in this particular case, has turned a scenario where he could potentially miss three key players into a headache for the opposition instead!
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