Amorim needs to be 100% sure before implementing this key tactical switch moving forward

Manchester United threw away two points as they played out an incredibly entertaining 4-4 draw against Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Monday. The hosts had taken a deserved lead in the first half through Amad, but were pegged back in the 40th minute by United target, Antoine Semenyo. It did not take the home side too long to re-take the lead, as Casemiro scored a header just before half-time. The home side were completely dominant, having the lion’s share of the ball while creating chances at will. Ruben Amorim’s message at the break must have been to produce more of the same, but it was anything but. The Cherries struck twice in seven minutes to silence the Old Trafford faithful. Ruben Amorim tweaked things at the back The head coach tweaked things, going ultra attacking while playing a back four, a huge change from his much-publicised 3-4-3 system. And the Red Devils did not let their heads drop, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a superb free-kick. And Matheus Cunha then popped up to score the fourth, and with 11 minutes to go, Amorim must have been confident of his side holding on to their lead. However, it almost looked like his back four had hardly played in this new system, and they allowed the visitors to equalise once again. It could have been worse, but for Senne Lammens, who produced two superb saves in added time to ensure a point at home. Attack purred, backline suffered United purred in attack, and are currently the second highest scorers in the Premier League. But at the back, they have conceded 26 times, the most among the top-12 teams in the division. Ruben Amorim must try and find the balance regarding when to push forward, and when to try and manage the game. That is his next challenge. Tweaking to a back-four needs a lot of work on the training ground, and the Portuguese tactician needs to be a 100% sure before implementing it in games. Having played in a back three for over a year, and with multiple young stars at the back, it will be confusing to them. With an in-form Aston Villa up next, and with United set to be without Bryan Mbeumo, Amad, Noussair Mazraoui, and Casemiro, it will be an uphill battle. Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25