Manchester United's Portuguese head coach Ruben Amorim reacts during the English Premier League football match between Ipswich Town and Manchester United at Portman Road in Ipswich, eastern England Ruben Amorim is not concerned about the criticism he has faced about his new formation at Manchester United. Picture: Darren Staples/AFP
New Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim said his new formation which he will employ at the club, is nothing for fans to be upset about.
Instead, he said that despite using the new 3-4-3 formation for United — it would still come down to the performance of the players.
Following the departure of Erik ten Hag, United interim-coach Ruud van Nisterlrooy used the more familiar 4-3-3 formation. Ten Hag had tended to change between a 4-4-2, 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations.
Amorim employed three defenders, four midfielders and three forwards for the majority of his time in charge of Sporting Lisbon.
“People talk about the 3-4-3. That is not the concern, the system is a system, but the understanding of the game I think we have to improve a lot in this area,” Amorim told SkySports after his first game in charge with the new formation over the weekend.
The match was an away trip to Ipswich Town in the Premier League, which ended in a 1-1 draw after Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in the second minute.
Pundit and former United player Roy Keane asked Amorim about the ‘proper intelligence from some of the players decision-making’ and whether that would be something to be worried about for the club.
“I think that is a concern, because you can understand you don't need to coach them about that at this level.
“You have to keep the ball, know the momentum to put the ball in front and sometimes you feel that you can't keep it. Then you are rounding the box with two strikers, and the player has to understand that he has to go to the box to have the crosses.
“We are doing some things that are not in the right moment, so that is something that we have to address.”