14 defeats, 11 draws and 13 wins are Manchester United's achievement in the Premier League in 2025 under coach Ruben Amorim.
However, what reveals their uncertain future most clearly is not only the score, but also the team formation, tactics and approach to the match of the Portuguese captain.
In November 2024, in his first interview with the club's media, Amorim emphasized the importance of building identity. He admitted that Man United needed time, but affirmed "must win that time" through results, and put identity as the number one priority from the first day.
Immediately after that announcement, the 3-4-2-1 formation became the "fingerprint" of Man United under Amorim: 2 center-backs, 2 defensive midfielders, 2 wing-backs and the attacking trio above. By September 2025, Amorim also declared that even the Pope could not change his approach, consolidating the image of a coach who is always steadfast in the system.
For months, that structure was almost unchanged, although the effectiveness was not convincing. Fans and experts continuously questioned the adaptability of the former Sporting coach when the new method at Old Trafford yielded bland results, including 15th place in the tournament and failure in the Europa League final.
Although the player's role can vary according to each opponent and each match time, the 3-defender frame is still Amorim's constant.
Then in December, everything seemed to change direction. According to Amorim, when the team had a relatively positive period of play, it was "the right time" to adapt. The departure of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo from the AFCON team further forced him to adjust, while refuting the view that tactical flexibility comes from external pressure.
On Boxing Day, in the victory against Newcastle, Amorim used a 4-man defense for the first time since taking over. He explained that this time is different from before. The broken force forces the team to adapt, but the core principles remain the same, only the system can change.
However, in the match against Wolves, Amorim returned to the 3-defender foundation - a decision that Gary Neville called a step backwards. And from here, the central question appeared.
Why did Amorim change and then return, is Man United qualified to overcome the 3-center-back formation or not? And in the end, what factors has he really adjusted in his approach throughout the season?
We had difficulty throughout the match. We lacked creativity but we knew that this would be a different match from the match against Newcastle.
We also had another source of energy throughout the match. Looking back at the match, we had opportunities, but the playing style lacked clarity because of the lack of connection between the players" - Amorim said after the draw against Wolves.
