When Ruben Amorim took charge at Manchester United in November 2024, the club shifted to his 3-4-3 system, something the team wasn’t accustomed to.
The Red Devils had mostly operated with a four-man backline in the Premier League era, occasionally switching to a back-three for specific games.
Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had reserved the three-man defence for big games that required more defensive solidity.
Amorim’s arrival, as such, sparked a change in dynamics in the backline. The Portuguese head coach started his tenure with a back three of Jonny Evans, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui against Ipswich Town. A lot, though, has changed since then.
Injuries playing spoilsport
Against Ipswich, Amorim was without Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, and Luke Shaw due to injuries. Martinez would be heavily involved in the following games until his unfortunate ACL injury in February this year.
Maguire and Yoro, meanwhile, grew in prominence as the season progressed, while Shaw returned from injury in the final weeks of the campaign. United signed Ayden Heaven in January, and the young defender was also used by Amorim on a few occasions during the second half of the season.
The defence learnt from their mistakes, but injuries turned out to be United’s bane once again. With De Ligt missing the final weeks of the season due to a knee injury and Martinez also unavailable, Amorim’s back three for the Europa League final consisted of Yoro, Maguire and Shaw.
The Red Devils lost the game by a solitary goal, and the spotlight was back on Amorim. The Portuguese invested mainly in the attack this summer, with Diego Leon the only defender added to his kitty.
The situation this season
Amorim has tried to field a consistent back three so far. Yoro and Shaw have retained their place from the Europa League final, but Maguire has been replaced by De Ligt.
The trio has been a constant in the Premier League this season, starting four of the five games together. However, Amorim opted to replace Yoro with Maguire for last weekend’s game against Chelsea, which United won 2-1.
Maguire also started the defeat against Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup, alongside Heaven and Tyler Fredricson. With so many options at Amorim’s disposal, the all-important question right now is – what is the Portuguese’s best back three?
The former Sporting manager prefers defenders who are comfortable on the ball. He wants centre-backs who have decent recovery pace, especially in the wide centre-back position, which suits his attacking style of play.
Speaking ahead of the Chelsea, Amorim also stressed the importance of defending the box, saying: “We need to be more aggressive in the boxes. We just have to maintain the way we are playing, but improving in our box and our opponents’ box. That was the focus of the week.”
The Left Centre Back
There’s no doubt that when fit, Lisandro Martinez is tailor-made for the left centre-back position. The Argentine defender is excellent on the ball and has an eye for a pass.
Martinez’s line-breaking passes were one of United’s strengths last season. He registered 16 line-breaking passes into the penalty area last season, five more than any other central defender, despite missing almost the entire second half of the campaign!
The 27 year old has the ability to dictate the tempo of the game from deep, while his aggression sets the mood for the entire team. Amorim has recently admitted that his team have missed Licha so far.
In the Argentine’s absence, Shaw has been operating in that role so far this season with mixed results, while Ayden Heaven remains an option as well. However, one can imagine that Lisandro Martinez will walk back into the team as soon as he is fit.
Central Centre Back
Amorim’s central centre back plays a key role in marshalling the backline, and De Ligt has operated in the role with aplomb so far. The Dutchman has started every game in the league this campaign, signifying his importance to the Portuguese’s plans.
De Ligt has been one of the standout performers for United this season as well. Interestingly, no centre back has won more defensive duels in the Premier League this campaign than the 26 year old.
The Dutchman is an assured presence at the back, and brings leadership, aggression, and aerial strength to the position. He is also adept at covering for the wide centre-backs, which is crucial when dealing with opposition breaks.
Of course, Harry Maguire is another option for the job, and is likely to be deployed against specific opposition when United need more strength at the back. De Ligt, during such games, can be expected to slot in at the right centre-back position, as he did against Chelsea.
Right Centre Back
When United signed Leny Yoro from right under Real Madrid’s noses in the summer of 2024, it was believed that they had secured a generational talent. Yoro missed almost the entire first half of last season with injuries.
The teenager has grown in stature this season and has been very impressive so far. Yoro started the first four games in the Premier League this season, where his recovery pace and his qualities on the ball were an asset to the team.
The Frenchman was excellent against Fulham, winning 100% of his tackles, making five clearances and registering six passes into the final third.
However, the 19 year old isn’t without flaws, as was evident in the 3-0 defeat against Manchester City. It was a learning experience for both the player and Amorim, who deployed De Ligt in that position in the following game against Chelsea.
Yoro, as such, remains the best option for the right centre back role. However, as the teenager comes to terms with the demands of the position, one can expect the Dutchman or even Noussair Mazraoui to cover in the position in specific games.
Consistency is key at the back
For now, Amorim is expected to continue with the Yoro-De Ligt-Shaw back three in most games, although Maguire is likely to be thrown in from time to time.
Once Lisandro Martinez returns to full fitness, the Portuguese head coach will finally be able to field his best three-man backline. Interestingly, Yoro, Martinez and De Ligt started together just three times last season, against Nottingham Forest and Southampton in the league and against Rangers in the Europa League.
The Argentine is expected to return to full fitness by the end of October, and fans will be eager to have him back. In Yoro, De Ligt, and Martinez, United have the defensive foundation to help the team excel in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, and perhaps even push for a top-four place this season.
The only question is, can they all remain fit for the entire campaign?
Featured image Jan Kruger via Getty Images
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
