Amorim has to be given time till at least Christmas, says ex-Red Devil

Manchester United and Ruben Amorim’s tough times continue as the Red Devils were comprehensively defeated by their neighbours this past weekend. Phil Foden and Erling Håland got on the scoresheet, propelling Manchester City to a 3-0 win.

We discussed the game and its aftermath with former Manchester United star Lee Sharpe, who is unsure about Amorim’s tactics. He criticised the Portuguese coach’s refusal to adapt but believes he has to be given time till Christmas.

Amorim’s formation and on-pitch performances do not make sense to me

While recapping the game, Sharpe was pleased by United’s performance in the first half, but their capitulation in the second brought out the inconsistency that has come to characterise Amorim’s team.

"I was quite surprised at half-time and thought that Man Utd had done quite well. I think again, with United, they sort of come in and play well for ten minutes and then look very vulnerable defensively."

Amorim has been criticised for being stubborn with his formation and not adapting to the players he has at his disposal. Sharpe knows that Amorim won’t change that, as he had asked him about it in a previous interaction.

That being said, the former England international is befuddled by what he sees on the pitch. An example of that is United’s defensive gaps despite Amorim playing five at the back.

"I got to ask Amorim a question last season and I said, would he not consider changing his formation to better suit the players he's got and he said, 'No, this is my formation and we need to work on the training pitch and I know it can work.'"

"When you're playing five at the back, the last thing you expect is the opposition creating more chances and that's what's happening. There's gaps everywhere, they're creating chances very easily."

"But it does seem like he's not going to change the formation."

Sharpe continued his criticism, pointing to Amorim’s tendency to bring defenders on as subs, something that he thinks should not be done unless absolutely necessary.

"And the other surprising thing is the way he changes his defenders during a game. It's very rare that teams change the backline unless absolutely necessary and he seems to want to change the centre-backs every game which is unheard of."

As of this writing, United are actually still priced at 2/1 to turn things around and finish in the top five - and using our bet calculator, you can check out how much you stand to earn if you back them to get it right by May.

They’ll have to give Amorim time till at least Christmas

When asked about his thoughts on Amorim’s future, Sharpe says that they’ll have to give him time till Christmas, and that is solely because of the investment the club has made in bringing players, as well as getting rid of ones who didn’t suit Amorim’s playing style.

"I think it's a really difficult one because they've obviously given him a lot of money to spend. He's been playing this formation, he's already got rid of a few players. The ones you'd sort of class as, I suppose, deadwood."

"But then if a new manager comes in then you have to change the formation again and start changing the clientele again. I think they'll have to give him till at least Christmas."

"I think it's gotten to the stage where it's too deep for him to go. It's difficult to change clientele in January. You have to give him a bit of time."

Sharpe sympathises with Amorim’s predicament as the Portuguese coach has succeeded in the past with his philosophy and formation. He won two league titles, two domestic cups and a domestic super cup while managing Sporting CP. His struggles at United showcase how competitive the Premier League can be and why it is important to adapt.

"Everyone was very patient last season and waiting for him to have a pre-season and get time on the training pitch, get everyone fit. He seems to still be suffering from the same problems. They're giving chances away, not scoring enough goals. The midfield gets overrun when he tries to play two vs three."

"He's obviously seen that formation and philosophy work before but he just can't seem to get it right at United. You look on paper and the players look good enough, that's the thing. But they don't seem to be performing consistently enough."

"I don't know where he goes from here. I like the bloke, I like the way he talks but it's just not conveying with the performances on the pitch. It's a weird thing at the moment."

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