The resounding 1-3 defeat to Brentford last weekend not only caused Manchester United to drop to 14th place with only 7 points, it also pushed the seat Ruben Amorim was sitting on closer to the door to leave Old Trafford.
The team's leadership has maintained that they support Amorim and denied rumors of looking for a replacement. However, the Portuguese strategist clearly understands that a convincing victory over Sunderland this weekend is a must if he wants to calm down the wave of criticism and extend his term.
Solving problems in wood frames
Amorim continued to put his faith in Altay Bayindir in the loss to Brentford, instead of giving a chance to new signing Senne Lammens. Bayindir did not play too badly, even making a few impressive saves. However, the Turkish goalkeeper's easy defeat in Mathias Jensen's third goal left him skeptical.
In that context, it was Amorim's turn to give Lammens a chance. Although still unfamiliar with the new environment, the young Belgian goalkeeper deserves to try to prove why Man United dare to spend a large sum of money on him. Putting faith in Lammens may be a gamble, but in the current situation, Amorim is forced to take risks.
Strengthening the defense
If the goal is a concern, the defense is a disaster. Against Brentford, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw - who played well in the victory over Chelsea - became the weak weak points.
Ruben Amorim's three favorite trio since the beginning of the season include Shaw, Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro. However, with Shaw's declining form, a change is necessary. Young talent Ayden Heaven could be given a starting position in the left-sided centre-back position, De Ligt is holding the center, while Yoro needs to return to the starting lineup to regain confidence. On the wings, Amad Diallo could return with Patrick Dorgu continuing to play on the left wing.
Giving Kobbie Mainoo a chance
A big question mark in Amorim's use of people is his reservations with Kobbie Mainoo. The English midfielder has never started a Premier League game, although the Portuguese coach has repeatedly affirmed his absolute confidence. However, with Casemiro returning from suspension, Amorim is likely to prioritize the duo Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in midfield.
However, Mainoo still deserved to be given a starting opportunity. Especially when Amorim wants to send a message of change, he needs to put his faith in the 20-year-old star immediately.
Before that, when he came on to replace Manuel Ugarte in the 66th minute against Brentford, Mainoo brought speed, mobility and breakthrough ability from midfield. Despite making a mistake that led to the third goal, his performance was still much brighter than his teammates.
More flexible in tactics
It is likely that the Man United captain will remain steadfast in the 3-4-2-1 formation. This has been said and analyzed a lot since the beginning of the season until the loss to Brentford.
In the upcoming match against Sunderland, Amorim will almost always use this formation. If they continue to lose or play poorly against Sunderland, it will be an affirmation of the overall failure with a 3-4-2-1 formation.
find a way to make Sesko shine
New signing Benjamin Sesko scored the first goal for the "Red Devils" against Brentford, but his isolation in attack is still a burning issue. In the two defeats at the Manchester Derby and against Brentford, the Slovenia striker was often left behind, not receiving enough balls to promote his finishing ability.
This is in complete contrast to last season, when Sesko scored 21 goals for Leipzig thanks to the rotating team play. At Man United, the 22-year-old striker is still moving hard, constantly creating space with smart runs but his teammates cannot find him. If Amorim wants the attack to explode, he must build clear plays to make the most of Sesko's instinct.
The match of life and death
All of the above problems need to be solved right in the match against Sunderland that is of vital significance. A victory is uncertain to turn things around, but if it continues to stumble, the huge pressure from fans, the media and the dressing room could sweep Amorim away from Old Trafford, despite the patience Sir Jim Ratcliffe is trying to maintain.
