The Manchester United players are slowly coming to grips with Ruben Amorim’s style as seen from the number of chances they are creating in each of their recent games.
While goals have proved elusive, the defenders and midfielders are working much better in tandem and that can be seen from the way the players are linking up when going forward.
Unlike the past, where the players have been encouraged to play transitional football, the Portuguese head coach wants more control and he has specific demands from each position.
The 40-year-old has encouraged his centre-backs to push forward when they have the ball, and that was seen a couple of times against Manchester City on Sunday when the likes of Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro had the ball at their feet.
Defenders showing bravery on the ball
Being brave on the ball is another prerequisite with centre-backs asked to break lines with their passing. Lisandro Martinez was doing that with great regularity before his season-ending injury.
And the young Frenchman has stepped up in his absence, notching 90 percent passing accuracy in all three of his last league appearances.
Yoro explained as much to club media. “The three defenders need to control the game. If I can bring the ball forward for the strikers, for the midfielders, it is good for us, so I try to do it,” he said after the derby.
“Ruben asked me to do it. I am ready to do it and I can do it.”
In the Manchester derby, the 19-year-old registered a 90 percent passing accuracy rate with 21 passes being forward line-breaking passes.
Against Nottingham Forest last week, he notched 93 percent passing accuracy while completing a 100 percent of his long-ball attempts.
And in the game against Ipswich Town before the international break, he completed 95 percent of his passes while also registering a 100 percent dribbling accuracy (all stats via sofascore).
What is most impressive is the fact that he is playing on the left, which is not his natural side and yet he is excelling. This is his debut season in Manchester and it has been stop-start for him due to a couple of injuries.
Yoro excelling as per Amorim’s instructions
Which explains the slow start, something he admitted as well. But he revealed that his fitness is on the up every week and it is genuinely scary to think how high his ceiling can be.
“I had a little bit of adaptation when I came, but now it is better in every game. I think in every game I try to be better and I try to help the team and to be at 100 per cent.
“We played really well [against City]. I think we maybe deserved to score one goal. We have the clean sheet and one point but we need to continue like that, we have a lot of improvement now, so we need to continue.”
Amorim will be delighted with what he has seen from the former Lille star and hopefully, Yoro can keep at it in the games to come as the Red Devils look to qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
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
