Sam Allardyce saw eye to eye with Bryan Robson over the Manchester United legend’s assessment of Ruben Amorim’s tactical system in the Premier League.
Michael Carrick immediately pivoted away from Ruben Amorim’s polarising Manchester United tactics after he was appointed interim boss in January.
Amorim had rolled out a back three formation at Old Trafford from the moment that he set foot through the doors of United after his appointment back in 2024.
The 41-year-old former United manager found major success with his contentious tactical system in his native homeland with Sporting CP before his Man Utd move.
READ MORE:‘No energy, no quality’: Roy Keane instantly identifies why Man Utd couldn’t recover from slow Leeds start
Ruben Amorim getting into the field during the Europa League round-of-16 leg one match between Sporting CP and Arsenal at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Photo by Pedro Loureiro/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
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Bryan Robson tells Sam Allardyce the fatal flaw within Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd tactics at Old Trafford
Ruben Amorim adopted a 3-4-2-1 or a 3-4-3 formation for his approach with Manchester United after he replaced Erik ten Hag in the Old Trafford dugout.
The former Sporting CP head coach’s system axed the traditional use of wingers at Man Utd and instead adopted two No 10s in support of the lone striker.
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Amorim’s tactics also switched the Red Devils to using wing-backs instead of full-backs, with Man Utd also lining up in a three-man defence under him.
Speaking on Sam Allardyce’s podcast, Bryan Robson argued that Amorim was deeply exposed for wanting to play one way of football every single time at Man Utd.
“You know, as a manager, Sam, Amorim, when you go back to him, he was adamant he’s going to play the back five,” he said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
“And it wasn’t working. But you know, as a manager, when you’re planning against a team, if you’re going to play the same system every time, it’s easy to plan against.”
Responding to United legend Robson, Allardyce added: “Yeah. You’re right. No doubt about that.”
READ MORE:Gary Neville deeply critical of Michael Carrick’s risky tactical inaction during Man Utd defeat to Leeds
Michael Carrick’s substitutions are putting Ruben Amorim to shame!
Amorim's substitutions were his biggest flaw – Do you agree?
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Sam Allardyce on a deep problem with modern-day management amid the Man Utd conversation around Ruben Amorim
Amorim was sacked as Man Utd manager in January after the Portuguese coach’s fractured relationship with Ineos marked the end of his 14-month reign at the club.
The former United manager’s reign included the team news being leaked at times and Allardyce spotlighted the problems that clubs now face with such issues.
“Certainly, with the technology you’ve got today, you know, there was all this in the old days, all this keep your team secret,” he said.
“You know what I mean? It was secret like, you mean, you can’t let anything out, you warned your players, ‘Don’t be speaking to your agents and don’t do this and don’t do that.’
“But with the technology that was rare on occasions in my time later on, that I was ever really that worried about getting too much knowledge about the opposition because of all the information we’d had.”
Amorim, who was United’s sixth permanent manager post-Sir Alex Ferguson, is currently a free agent after he was axed from the Premier League club.
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