Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe has identified the relationship between the central defenders and the positioning of Bruno Fernandes as areas within Ruben Amorim’s system which will prove key to the Portuguese manager’s success at Old Trafford.
Amorim took charge of his first game as head coach at United in the 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town at Portman Road yesterday. The Red Devils began the match in emphatic fashion, with Marcus Rashford finishing off an electric team goal inside two minutes, courtesy of a fast break from Amad Diallo, deployed in an unfamiliar right wing-back role.
It constituted a textbook goal for the 39-year-old’s three-at-the-back tactic as Amad combined with Noussair Mazraoui and Bruno Fernandes to move the ball from deep inside United’s half all the way to the opposition box, before finding Rashford to finish past Arijanet Muric.
It was short lived euphoria for Amorim, however, as he watched his side relinquish control of the match to a much better Ipswich side, who drew level before the half-time interval. By the final whistle, the fact Andre Onana was United’s standout player and deserved Man of the Match evidences the struggles the Reds endured at Portman Road after their fast start.
And speaking to The Peoples Person in an exclusive interview, courtesy of Racing Tipster, Sharpe revealed the positioning of the centre-backs in Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up will prove key to the success of the wingbacks, as Amad found in those opening minutes.
“I think being being comfortable and being given chance[s] as a forward thinking wingback comes from good coaching on the three centre-backs. As long as the centre-back on your side is prepared to come out and play fullback when the ball is on your side, then I don’t think it changes too much from playing as a wide midfielder.”
“If that centre half gets dragged into the middle, and [the wingback has] acres of space down that channel [to defend] then it becomes a really thankless task.”
Sharpe contends Mazraoui played “really well” at right centre-back yesterday, which will undoubtedly have played a role in Amad’s strong performance, as demonstrated during the opening goal.
However, by comparison, United’s left-hand side – comprising a 36-year-old Jonny Evans and an out-of-position Diogo Dalot – struggled throughout the match, with Evans uncomfortable covering the channel and Dalot ineffective on his weaker foot going forward.
United improved in the second half with the introduction of Luke Shaw in place of Evans at LCB, though the long-term solution on this side must be Shaw at wingback with Lisandro Martinez (absent through injury) stationed in central defence.
Sharpe also questioned the effectiveness of Fernandes as an attacker in Amorim’s system, contending United’s captain can get “cut out of the game” when deployed further forward, as he was in the first half against Ipswich.
“I always think [Fernandes] is a little bit better sat a bit deeper as he sees the game quite well in front of him. He can pick out a long pass, a short pass, a one-two, so you do lose a bit of him [further forward].”
The former United winger describes Fernandes as “highly energetic” and someone “who likes to get around the pitch”, meaning he is “more suited to a number eight role, than a number ten.” When stationed near the opposition box, as United’s number ten often was in the first forty-five minutes before Amorim made an alternation for the second half, “you lose a bit of his all-round energy in the game when he’s stuck up there waiting for the ball.”
It’s this combination – the relationship between the centre-backs and the wingbacks and the optimal position for Fernandes – which appear key for Amorim to solve in the early period of his tenure as United’s head coach.
Sharpe was an electric wide man during the early 1990s for United, winning three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, a League Cup, thee Charity shields and a European Cup Winner’s Cup. He would also be awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 1991.
His potent pairing of speed and skill would make him a perfect candidate for the LWB role in a modern 3-4-3 system, though the former England international selected Bryan Robson when asked which player from his successful United era the current team would benefit most from.
“I would have to pick Bryan Robson. He would grab people by the scruff of the neck, he would let everybody know where they stood and what they needed to do to win a football match.”
Captain Marvel, as he became affectionately known by the Old Trafford faithful, was an absolute colossus at the heart of United’s midfield under Sir Alex Ferguson. His unique skillset as a midfielder and his leadership qualities are attributes sorely lacking in the current squad, with the aging pairing of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen (both 32) unable to handle the intensity and speed of a newly promoted side.
“I think that game last night would have been won last night if Bryan Robson had been on the pitch,” Sharpe concludes. So Amorim can add the unenviable task of finding the next ‘Captain Marvel’ to his rapidly growing to-do list at Old Trafford.
Feature image Richard Pelham via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
