Ruben Amorim was very satisfied with the way the players entered the game, as evidenced by the fact that in the matches against Ipswich and Bodo/Glimt, Man United both opened the scoring very early. There are many reasons for that result, but the most obvious is that the entire "Red Devils" squad ran very enthusiastically.
However, after that, when their physical strength declined, they fell into a situation where they conceded goals very easily like many previous matches under Erik ten Hag. Before considering super-high tactical forms, Amorim wants the players to maintain the intensity of running throughout the match, that is the most important thing.
"Looking at Bodo/Glimt scoring, it felt like their players understood each other very well. Meanwhile, we seemed to slow down as they accelerated. The away team's players have a lot of speed and power. This match was the most difficult for M.U in that aspect.
After that, we slowed down and had to control more, keeping the ball in our feet as long as possible" - Ruben Amorim shared.
After the match in the European Cup in midweek, Amorim has realized that what needs to be improved right now is to practice giving players the habit of facing teams playing with physical strength and speed. It is known that switching from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3 will make many players stiff. However, Amorim did not consider it the biggest obstacle.
Fortunately for Amorim, his players were still fit enough to break away right after falling 2-1 behind. The players immediately deployed the playing style as they had approached at the beginning of the first half. If Bodo/Glimt needed 4 minutes to score 2 goals, Man United only took 5 minutes to do the same, thereby winning 3-2.
One of the differences in this match came from the teams deploying defensive systems when facing the opponent's proactive attack. At that time, the system will switch from 3-4-3 to 4-4-2. The presence of more players participating in the defense has helped the shield in front of Andre Onana become more sturdy. Although there were still some breathtaking situations created by the away team, the Red Devils' defensive situation in the final minutes was much better than at the end of the first half.
Not to mention class, many players at Man United today cannot run as hard as Ruben Amorim's former students at Sporting Lisbon. Many "Red Devils" players have been exhausted compared to the requirements of the Premier League for a long time, so improving this in a short time is impossible. In the coming weeks, Amorim will have more time when most of his opponents are not too strong teams.
The success of the 3-4-3 at Sporting comes from the fact that Amorim's players are always ready to rush forward or fight together to defend, just like the spirit of Leverkusen in Xabi Alonso's hands last season. From now until the end of the season, there will be many requests from Ruben Amorim forcing his students to comply. The most positive point is that the Portuguese strategist is always clear in his instructions, does not talk too much and focuses on the main issue, making it easier for the players to understand.
Man United has many players with different qualities, so it is extremely difficult to establish consistency. Time will tell whether Amorim can do what Ten Hag could not, which is to assemble the pieces of Man United that are in disarray?
