Ruben Amorim at Manchester United has already become one of the most debated managerial storylines of the season, with questions mounting about his tactics and philosophy.
Ruben Amorim put on a brave face at a press conference despite continued poor run of Manchester United after their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League. The 40-year-old Portuguese manager gave emphasis on sticking to the “philosophy” of the team, which was non-negotiable to him and stressed on the fact that he would continue with the 3-4-2-1 formation unless he himself had a change of mind.
It can be debated whether only playing with a back-three amounts to a new philosophy if the other aspects of the game are not supported by the personnel in the formation.
Amorim has overseen a change in the formation since coming to United, but it cannot be a statement in itself unless it is implemented properly on the pitch. United are 14th in the league table this season after having finished 15th last time around.
Is Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 to blame for Manchester United’s struggles?
The 3-4-2-1 formation used by Amorim has two No. 10s behind the striker and also a double-pivot in midfield. It has already been mentioned a gazillion times in various media that he does not have two enforcers in the midfield who can play with enough command in the double-pivot in the above formation.
Playing Bruno Fernandes, the most creative player in the team, as a No. 8 in the double-pivot is a questionable decision at best. In the second half against Manchester City, when Manchester United were chasing the game, Fernandes switched to the left flank with Kobbie Mainoo replacing him in midfield, but by then, the damage was done.
Not to mention that Amorim has a 32-year-old Casemiro as a back-up option to play there. Manuel Ugarte does not have the passing skills required to create moves from deep, and Mainoo’s confidence has been hurt somewhat by Amorim himself by dropping him to the bench frequently since his appointment.
To be fair to Amorim, both his new signings, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, have made their presence felt in the final third. However, Benjamin Sesko, the new centre-forward, is yet to score a goal for the Red Devils despite appearing in four matches so far.
When Cunha missed the game against Manchester City, United’s attacks looked right-heavy, with only Mbeumo seemingly capable of posing any threat to the Cityzens’ defence.
Yes, it provides United with a cushion with the provision of an extra man in central defence. However, a left-back like Luke Shaw was positioned there and found severely wanting in the match against Manchester City.
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Is Amorim’s “Philosophy” Going To Help United?
Firstly, one should debate whether it can be called a new philosophy at all.
United’s wingers have been doing okay, as already mentioned, but are not exchanging enough passes in the final third with the centre-forward, which becomes imperative in the formation used by Ruben Amorim at Manchester United.
The front-three exchanging passes and the wingers cutting in from the flanks are what separate a 3-4-3 from a 3-5-2, with the latter being more dependent on crosses played in by the wing-backs from the flanks.
Then, the issue of overlapping by the wing-backs is there, about which only Patrick Dorgu seems to be doing something serious. However, Dorgu’s crossing skills are not good enough, and his ability to run tirelessly cannot make up for that. Diogo Dalot and Amad Diallo have alternately played as the right wing-back, but neither has had a lasting impact.
Hence, United have neither looked threatening enough with their passing in the final third, nor have they been direct enough with their crosses into the box. Not to mention that they do not play possession-based football with short passes either.
What’s Next for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United?
Despite Amorim proclaiming it as a new philosophy, United’s football under him seriously lacks a proper identity. Rather, it depends on sporadic counter-attacks with long passes played to the forwards, which has been the Red Devils’ go-to option since the days of Jose Mourinho as their manager.
Amorim will have to understand that making tall claims in the press conferences might make him look good, but will not serve the purpose as the manager of the club.
As the manager, he definitely has the right to stick to a certain formation, but he should not be under the false notion that he is building a particular playing style or “philosophy” in the process.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Every Second Media
Recording Date: 24.08.2025