AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has revealed he believes Manchester United are able to “keep games more under control” since Ruben Amorim’s appointment in November – a quality the team consistently failed to demonstrate under the previous incumbent, Erik ten Hag.
The Cherries travel to Old Trafford on Sunday to face United in a key fixture heading into the hectic Christmas period.
Despite the Red Devils being languished in 13th in the Premier League table, and Bournemouth impressively stationed in 6th place, only three points separate the two sides.
Indeed, United would leapfrog their opponents in the league if they win on Sunday, reflecting just how tightly packed the middle of the division is and offering optimism to fans that Champions League qualification is not yet out of reach.
And while results since Amorim swapped Lisbon for Manchester have been inconsistent with four wins, one draws and three losses in all competitions, there has been an obvious improvement in the style of football United are playing.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Iraola acknowledged the strides his opponents this weekend have made in a short period of time under their new coach, contrasting it to the performances earlier in the season under Ten Hag.
“I think they are different. They play in a different way, different system, different approach to the game,” Aroala stated. “I think they keep the games more under control. They have raised their possession on the ball and they have really good patterns that fully allow them to dictate the game.”
This notion of more “control” is perhaps the biggest improvement United have made in comparison to the chaotic football which came to characterise the Ten Hag era.
The Dutch manager, despite forging his reputation at Ajax, appeared unbothered by the positives possession of the football provides, instead instructing his players to seek to force transitions as much as possible.
This produced end-to-end games which, while entertaining for the neutral, often led to United’s defence capitulating last season under the pressure of relentless attacks, as the club fell to their worst Premier League finish in history.
And while the defensive statistics improved this season, with the club investing heavily in two of Ten Hag’s former pupils (Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui), it was not sufficient to save the Dutchman’s job after a series of dismal results.
Iraola believes this solidity in defence has continued to improve under Amorim, likely aided by the Portuguese coach’s 3-4-3 system and his emphasis on control through possession. “They have signed also new defenders, good defenders, and improved from past season defensively overall and I think they are continuing [to improve] now.”
It’s a testament to Amorim’s skillset as a coach that he has been able to imprint his mark midway through a season, on a completely new squad of players, so quickly; and it’s an improvement on the pitch which is making rival Premier League managers take note.
Featured image Shaun Botterill 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.
