25 Aug 2025 13:02:10
A lot is being said today about the system, manager and style of play.
I get it, this season has left more questions than answers already but we have to accept where we currently are. I think a lot of people saw the three new attackers and assumed we would instantly improve. That was never going to happen that easy. We are a work in progress.
The keeper clearly has issues and has now entered the territory of being allowed to be fouled in most set plays because of it. Amorim needs to highlight this asap.
The defence I feel is fine, De Ligt has started the season well and Yoro is excellent. Dorgu is learning and improving but still prone to the odd immature moment. RWB is being severely hampered by the lack of quality in the middle. Often runs are being made but Case who normally operates that side doesn't have the skills to utilise it, choosing to bee safe.
Attacking wise I also feel we will be fine, the movements and invention already look promising and goals will come.
Which brings us always back onto the midfield. This is an area that for some reason has been neglected for years, we often buy the same profile of player whenever we decide to address it. Matic, Fred, Ugarte etc. These are limited players that require a top level partner to negate their inefficiencies, but for some reason we never get one and always look to just get by. Bruno for me is the biggest issue now. He is a player with no place in this system but Amorim is shoehorning him into it. What makes it even odder is the skillset Amorim requires, Mainoo has. A ball carrying technical type but he is reluctant to play him because of his lack of athleticism. So we suffer Bruno's kamikaze style of passing and his headless chicken running, often leaving us with little control.
That area is like a constant spinning roundabout, the ball goes in there and you're not sure what is coming out and where.
Until we fix this, we will continue to struggle in games we don't score a couple of quick goals in.
Amorim has to get the confidence to drop Bruno and pair Mainoo with Case for a few games to allow them the time to gel. Or do something radical like sign a midfielder lol.
25 Aug 2025 13:50:19
we spent a lot on ugarte who was suppose to be the guy who solved it. I see people talking about the team missing the perfect midfielder and why we are not performing. its a myth and not many teams have the perfect midfielder. they all have their flaws.
25 Aug 2025 15:46:25
Ahmed,
United have spent a lot on a lot of players to solve issues. Ugarte imo is just another in a long list of players that ultimately are not of the required ability.
As for teams having the "perfect midfielder" being a 'myth' I don't remember suggesting that being the issue.
What I said was, we need a top level midfielder that would balance out the double pivot. Unless you're suggesting a Bruno/ Ugarte or Casemiro midfield is balanced and it's just the manager and the previous ones to him that have been the issue.
I'm certainly not in the "Amorim can do no wrong" camp but I do believe that we are in a more clear direction with him if we add the right players.
The alternative is we sack another manager, revert to a 4-3-3 again plug the issues with stop gaps because the new manager will want another type of player and in 12 months go again.
I'm in the camp of putting pressure on our board to supply the level of player to improve us this season.
25 Aug 2025 17:00:38
We need to go back to 4 at the back. This wingback system with 2 mids produces very little offensively imo. play a 4/ 3/ 3 and why complicate out of everything. we escape goat too many players over the last 12 months and whilst this system fais us, the players more often comparative to producing a great game. how many great games has any one seen under amorim may i ask.
25 Aug 2025 17:34:01
4 at the back, 3 at the back, 5 at the back is really doesn't matter.
Formations are just starting positions, it's how the players adapt and implement a style that matters. Yes 3 centerbacks can force a team to feel more defensive but like wise we were getting run through at will when we had 2 in more traditional 4 at the back.
For me the issues were clear, but just because they were clear doesn't mean they are easily solved.
Our attack was selfish, immature and not up to standard.
Our defenders often lack concentration and our midfielders often roamed and went where they wanted.
We have addressed the attacking issue but my point further in another post was if we have just been able too sign 3 players was it that critically to sign 3 forwards at the sacrifice of a top midfielder.
I'm hoping we have a plan over the coming week to actually sign a midfielder but I think it really depends on outgoings.
25 Aug 2025 17:47:42
Ahmad
You say we need to go back to 4 at the back, basically your round about way of saying sack the manager. He needs to be given the CM and GK then see what happens. He needs time. I know you were Amorim out last season, but we have had two games. Two.
25 Aug 2025 18:40:01
The system Amorim plays is giving us all what we have craved for near on 15years+, exciting football.
Where it falls down is not realising when a player is cooked. Against Fulham Mbeumo and Mount needed to be changed. Bring on sell for one, shift Cunha back 10, send Bruno to the other, have Mainoo in the middle, or Ugarte, whatever.
I will say this, again, we need. RWB as that side is so weak with Amad/ Dalot, manly because neither are a RWB.
Back to the system, we are so intense from the get go, that has to be the gameplan - overrun the opposition and score goals, quickly. I've said it a couple of times, someone is getting hit for 6 shortly.
25 Aug 2025 20:16:20
Exciting football? Really?
25 Aug 2025 21:24:06
Red man, with all due respect, he has been in charge now for 29 games in the league, not 2.
26 Aug 2025 09:11:19
redman
we finished 15th and had our worst ever season. At no point in his tenure has he given me any footballing reasons to think this guy is going to win things for us. He gets an A+ for his silver tongue though.
We sack him today and replace him and I reckon we are a top 5 team with a good manager. a lot less mangers on paper with lesser squads have done a lot better in this league.
I did not advocate for his sacking but said he will get himself sacked because he knows no better than just one way of playing and its not working, look at his results. On top of that his game time decisions to change the directions of games are rubbish.
Let's pick this up after 10 games and see where we are.