Paul Merson thinks Ruben Amorim would have been better off joining Chelsea over Man Utd as he makes his prediction for the Red Devils’ clash against Leicester City on Sunday.
Amorim will start work at Man Utd on November 11 after he takes charge of his final Sporting Lisbon match against Braga over the weekend.
There are doubts about how the Red Devils’ squad will suit his formation with Amorim likely to deploy a 3-4-3 and certainly a back three.
Merson thinks the current Chelsea squad would be better suited to get the best out of Amorim’s tactics with Man Utd needing to invest in players to give the Portuguese coach what he wants.
The Arsenal legend also questioned the “identity” of summer signing Joshua Zirkzee and gave a prediction for Man Utd versus Leicester City on Sunday.
Merson told Sportskeeda: “I watch Manchester United and I really think Ruben Amorim has his work cut out at Old Trafford. You could say he probably has an advantage because we aren’t expecting much. But I watch all the other big teams and all of them have a plan in place, Manchester United don’t.
“When you look at the system that Amorim deploys at Sporting and you look at United, you don’t really know how many players at Old Trafford can pull that off. It doesn’t tick any box. Who will be the three at the back considering all their centre-backs available for selection aren’t the quickest? What about the wing-backs? They don’t have a proper goal-scoring no.9 like Viktor Gyokeres or two creative no.10s.
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“If Amorim goes to Chelsea for example, you know he has the resources to become a success. Quick defenders like Reece James, Malo Gusto. Two good no.10s in the form of Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku. Nicolas Jackson has already shown he can deliver if given the right supply as well. The resources are there, unlike the situation at Old Trafford.
“Don’t get me wrong, I like Amorim and what he’s done in Portugal deserves a lot of credit. But this looks like a really tough challenge for him and he won’t become an overnight success at Old Trafford because he needs the players for his preferred system.
“I also wanted to speak about Joshua Zirkzee. I don’t know where he plays, what his identity is as a player. If you’re always behind the eight ball at Manchester United, it’s tough for you as a player. Mason Mount suffers from it, so did Anderson and many other players back in the day.
“Leicester did well to rescue a point against Ipswich last weekend. A defeat in that game would’ve been catastrophic for them. Jamie Vardy should remain fit throughout the season, if they are to avoid relegation. I think there’s only one winner in this game though, and it’s not Leicester. Prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Leicester City”
