While fans with Man UTD tickets are counting down until they see their new manager at Old Trafford in charge of his first game, they know they need not let their inner instincts come to life.
Time after time, new managers have come into Old Trafford, and the results haven’t been better. The latest departure was Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, who was tagged as the one who would take Manchester United to its glory days.
Unfortunately, that thought was short-lived, with United plummeting to their worst start to a season in their history, eventually seeing the manager sacked.
Now, Ruben Amorim faces the same challenge – to defy the odds and make Manchester United a winning outfit – something the club hasn’t seen in a while.
Passing the Baton from Van Nistlerooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy has successfully steadied the ship as interim boss since Erik ten Hag’s sacking, and Amorim now inherits a much more settled scenario than two weeks ago.
In the interim, Nistelrooy has brought hope among the fans who make it to the secondary ticket marketplace with a convincing win. A legend for the club will leave it in the hands of the incumbent coach.
Amorim acted swiftly without Van Nistelrooy as part of his staff. The Dutchman’s exit was confirmed hours after Amorim arrived at Carrington for the first time as head coach.
For the fans who watched the few games after Ten Hag’s exit with options in the secondary ticket marketplace, it was some delight to see the wins coming in – despite the disastrous start.
Amorim has plenty more issues at Old Trafford that must be addressed.
Choosing the Right Formation
Amorim’s formation has been the biggest talking point since his appointment was confirmed. Throughout his four-and-a-half years at Sporting, he has never stepped away from playing a back three.
The most pressing task facing Amorim on the training pitch before his first game at Ipswich on November 24 – live on Sky Sports – will be figuring out who can fulfill the specialized roles in this formation and familiarising the players with his system.
Time is against him.
United is well-stocked at center-back, having signed Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt in the summer, but the wing-back position feels like a potential problem area, with few players immediately standing out as ideal for the role.
Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot are the obvious candidates. The returning Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are, too, but based on their injury records over the last year, it might take a lot of work to rely on them.
Amorim tends to use a more attack-minded player on one side, often someone who inverts onto their stronger foot, which raises the possibility of some of United’s many wide forwards being converted into wing-backs.
Send the Underperformers Away
One of the biggest concerns of the fans who turn up to United games with options from the secondary ticket marketplace is seeing the same individuals take the field without any remorse.
Regardless of their form, some selected players have found a starting number.
Now, the fans with Man UTD ticketswill ask the new manager to take steady action.
Former United defender Gary Neville agrees and urges the manager to take action against the cult of underperforming players.
The United shirt has weighed too much, hampering results and turning world-class players into flops. Amorim must prioritize addressing this and the seemingly toxic environment around United.
His record at Sporting would suggest he has the skills for the job, having unified the club after years of instability. Transferring that to United is not a given, though. More experienced coaches than the 39-year-old have tried and failed to do so.
Since becoming the star of the United soap opera, Amorim’s handling of the scrutiny has bodes well. Navigating an awkward mid-season exit at a club close to his heart, Amorim has remained jovial and connected well with the media. He is a people person.
The reverse was a common criticism of his predecessor. Suppose Amorim can translate these skills to the dressing room and find the right balance of restoring confidence while commanding the authority to establish his principles. In that case, he might be onto something.
This squad may need to be better to challenge for titles, but with a different approach, as seen under Van Nistelrooy, we may see performance levels improve. INEOS stumped up more than £200m on signings and will want to see more of a return.
Striker Issue
United’s two strikers, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee signed for a total cost of £108m over the past two summers, have scored a combined three goals in all competitions this season.
Unsurprisingly, Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford has brought speculation about Viktor Gyokeres, Sporting’s star striker, and a potential move to Manchester. In contrast, he scored 23 goals in 19 games this season.
If Gyokeres chose to follow Amorim, the earliest United could sign him would be in the summer, as his departing boss ruled out a January move. And there is no certainty that United will pursue the Sweden striker either.
But the questions will be asked by those with Man UTD tickets if Amorim goes down the road of Ten Hag, where he signed almost all of his former Ajax players.
This move saw United pile unnecessary talent like Antony, who came at exceedingly high costs.
Amorim must find a way to make do with the tools.
Hojlund, still just 21, has endured a frustrating start to the season. He often finds himself isolated and lacking in service, even when performances improve under Van Nistelrooy. Finding a way to give the Denmark striker more service will be key.
Save for a run of six consecutive scoring games last season, Hojlund has been patchy since signing from Atalanta. There is faith that he can turn things around, but the longer his struggles continue, the more likely United will look elsewhere for a solution.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, has yet to score since his debut goal against Fulham in the first Premier League game of the season. The Netherlands striker has impressed dropping into midfield, but so far failed to show the killer instinct required to be United’s No 9.
Options for the United games for the rest of the season are now listed on the secondary ticket marketplace.
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