Instead of putting up a fight, Manchester United got thrashed 0-3 by their noisy neighbours, Manchester City, in the Manchester derby on Sunday.
Ruben Amorim’s curious team selection and safety-first approach were to blame again, and the loss heaps more pressure on the head coach.
He remains adamant that there won’t be any change in his system, and for now, INEOS also seems determined to stay the course. For how long, only time will tell.
But pundits, and ex-players have been left unimpressed by the meek surrender at the Etihad, and club legend Gary Neville was shocked at the midfield plans laid out by the Portuguese tactician.
Midfield issues
It is clear for almost all fans to see that Manuel Ugarte is not the right fit for the Premier League. And playing your best creator alongside him in a deeper role means a lack of penetration up top.
For all of Bruno Fernandes’ qualities, positional discipline is not one of them. And the lack of understanding between the pair and the vast spaces left open when United were trying to chase the game meant City were almost always comfortable on the ball.
“The midfield is a massive problem and we know that, United fans know that, Manuel Ugarte and Fernandes today,” the former right-back told on the Gary Neville Podcast.
“Ugarte is not good enough, and Bruno is not a player who plays in a deep-lying midfield in a two, he can do, I think, if United are at home and they’re playing against a team who are dominating possession, you can maybe bring him a bit deeper and get away with it.
“But against any team who have good possession and good players, and that’s most teams in the Premier League, Bruno is always probably going to struggle in a midfield two.
Ruben Amorim doesn’t seem to care
“And what happens is a bit of a pattern that exists, you can cuddle Bruno with Amad, [Bryan] Mbeumo, and [Benjamin] Sesko, and they provide a bit of a shield.
“But what happens when the game opens up a little bit, players get a little bit more fatigued, or United go 1-0 down, they end up then chasing it a little bit, the front three stay a little bit higher, and then those spaces start to appear in midfield, and then Bruno starts to be pulled around.
“Bruno is United’s best player by a mile, but this system has to have him as a one of a two in midfield or as one of a front three, of which he is neither of these two positions.”
Unfortunately, Ruben Amorim does not see it this way, and he promised once again to keep at it in the exact same way. United fans are in for a roller-coaster next couple of weeks.
Feature image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
