Coach Ruben Amorim has apologized to fans after Manchester United's unfortunate defeat on penalties against fourth-tier Grimsby in the Carabao Cup. At the same time, the Portuguese captain affirmed that there needs to be a clear line.
"This is a limit that I think the team cannot overcome. We need to change. At this time, the whole team has to focus on the match on the weekend, then have time to reflect" - Amorim admitted.
Being absolutely steadfast in your football philosophy is just as important as being confident enough to adjust when the result goes down. Obviously, Amorim has faith in the 3-4-3 formation, but in the penalty shootout defeat against Grimsby, he could not show that steadfastness.
The image of the Portuguese coach leaning his back, looking weak on the coaching bench, further raises skepticism.
Maybe it is time for Amorim to adjust his stance on his football philosophy. The loss to Grimsby in the Carabao Cup was the clearest proof of this urgent requirement.
All of this makes the Portuguese strategist look no different from a Russell Martin version of Man United. It is a type of arrogant coach who believes that being loyal to a rigid plan means having principles. This logic seems reasonable at first, but in reality it is full of risks.
Football director Jason Wilcox understands Amorim's stubbornness very well. Part of his job was to side with the head coach, but it was time for Wilcox to discuss the controversial 3-4-3 formation. This is a tactic that is making the "Red Devils" play poorly on opportunities.
Erik ten Hag has previously been pressured by Dan Ashworth, Wilcox's predecessor, to adjust his tactical model. When the results did not improve, he immediately had to pay with his chair.
In theory, Wilcox has every right to ask Amorim to change the starting lineup. But reality is much more complicated. Wilcox, along with CEO Omar Berrada and Sir Jim Ratcliffe - the most powerful figures in the upper world - are the ones who put their faith in Amorim and the 3-4-3 formation.
This makes it difficult for the Portuguese strategist to admit that the board of directors has lost faith in their tactical system, and even in themselves.
"I just want to apologize to the fans, I have nothing to say about the team's performance anymore" - Amorim said after Man United was shocked out of the Carabao Cup.
In the team's weak performance at Blundell Park, Kobbie Mainoo still managed to leave a few moments of inspiration about his special qualities, especially in the first half.
This young player moves intelligently between lines, passes and rotates to open space, escaping pressing well in a narrow range. These are the skills of some typical 8 that Amorim's system is lacking.
However, the coach's current assessment is paradoxical. A player who scored the decisive goal in the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City, then became a phenomenon for England at EURO that summer - even starting in the final - was not qualified to be in the starting lineup.
Since last Christmas, Mainoo has been almost dropped from the center role. However, Man United's performance has not improved much during his absence.
Amorim may be having problems in his relationship with Marcus Rashford or Alejandro Garnacho, but with Mainoo, it is not at all. So why didn't he return Bruno Fernandes to his familiar No. 10 position and put Mainoo in the role of center-line conductor - where he could well become a mainstay?
