When Arsenal travel to Manchester United this weekend, it will mark 2 years since Mikel Arteta last faced Ruben Amorim away. At that time, Amorim's Sporting eliminated Arsenal from the Europa League after two matches. It was an impressive achievement, despite all difficulties when Sporting was rated much lower than Arsenal.
"Our players are very smart," Amorim said of the 2-2 draw in Lisbon. Arteta, meanwhile, lamented: "It's not worth playing the balls we played, especially against a team that wants to press the way they did."
Sporting with Amorim's signature 3-4-3 won the Emirates, creating more chances despite finishing the match with 10 players after Manuel Ugarte was sent off in extra time. tactically, Amorim's system has confused the Gunners.
Two years later, as Amorim struggled to leave his mark at Old Trafford, it was not only the Portuguese coach who was criticized but also the team. Some experts have expressed reservations, others have expressed horror.
Its a strange system, Gary Neville said. On Sky Sports News, Stephen Warnock emphasized more: "I don't like this system. I don't think it works."
Antonio Conte's Chelsea are the only team to win the Premier League when playing in this way. In addition, no team considered a candidate for the Premier League championship has played in this way.
The Premier League's physical requirements make it difficult for wingers to move completely on one wing. The 3-4-3 formation in English football is mainly a system for holding back, restraining and counter-attacking.
That view is even supported by evidence of some of Amorim's success since taking over at Man United. They often only play well when playing as a lower-ranked team and accept pressure. The proof is the impressive performances against Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Apart from those games, Amorim's 3-4-3 formation has not proven effective in the Premier League. In fact, Amorim's Sporting are the only team to have a 100% home win in the top 6 European tournaments last season. However, turning Man United into Sporting is another story.
It will take time and a few transfer windows for Amorim to fully implement his ideas at Old Trafford. However, can a big club like Man United really bet everything on this 40-year-old coach?
