(4-2-3-1) Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro returns”, Predicted Man United line up vs Paok – as Ruben Amorim set to take charge His first Man United game
(4-2-3-1) Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro returns”, Predicted Man United line up vs Paok – as Ruben Amorim set to take charge His first Man United game
Manchester United confirmed on Friday that Ruben Amorim would be arriving as their new head coach, with the Sporting Lisbon manager set to officially begin his time at Old Trafford on November 11.
Erik ten Hag lost his job at the club on Monday due to the team’s struggles this term, with the 2-1 defeat at West Ham United proving to be his final match in charge of the 20-time English champions.
Ruud van Nistelrooy was immediately placed in charge on an interim basis, but it quickly became clear that Amorim as the club’s number one target to be their next permanent manager.
Amorim will take charge of Sporting’s next three matches, while Van Nistelrooy will continue to lead the Red Devils against Chelsea, PAOK and Leicester City, before the change in the dug-out officially occurs.
The 39-year-old’s first game as Man United manager is set to be the team’s Premier League clash against newly-promoted Ipswich Town on November 24.
Here, Sports Mole looks at how the 20-time English champions could line up under Amorim.
Amorim has largely played a flexible 3-4-3 system at Sporting, so it is fair to assume that he would be looking to bring that to Man United, which would be a complete shift for the team.
Andre Onana’s spot between the sticks is not in doubt; the Cameroonian has been much-improved after a shaky first season at Old Trafford, and with Amorim liking his goalkeeper to take a big role in the build-up, Onana fits the brief.
Leny Yoro is yet to make his competitive debut for Man United, having fractured his foot during pre-season, but the Frenchman is expected to be back in December, and the generational talent has the potential to transform Man United’s defence, which currently lacks recovery pace.
Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez would also be starters under Amorim, with Diogo Dalot as the right-sided wing-back, while Luke Shaw, providing that he is able to overcome a calf issue in the near future, is perfect for the left-sided wing-back role, but it is still unclear when he will be available for selection.
Amorim’s style has worked well in Portugal, but it remains to be seen whether it can be successful in the Premier League.
Manuel Ugarte has been underused this season, with the Uruguay international bizarrely dropped for the West Ham clash after putting in an outstanding performance against Fenerbahce in the Europa League, and he would surely be a key player under Amorim, as his style and system requires a ball-winning midfielder.
Kobbie Mainoo is currently on the sidelines through injury, but he should be back over the next two or three weeks, and there will undoubtedly be a role for the outstanding young talent in the XI.
The front three is where it gets interesting; Rasmus Hojlund should be the centre-forward, as Joshua Zirkzee has struggled to impress this season, while Alejandro Garnacho has been Man United’s biggest attacking threat, and there simply has to be a spot in the XI for the Argentina international, most likely down the left.
That only leaves one position and two players fighting for it, with Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes yet to be named in this piece.
It is incredibly difficult to imagine Fernandes being dropped even considering his inconsistent form this season, as he is a reliable contributor of goals and assists, and he is capable of thriving down the right, providing that he has the licence to drift into the middle and is not asked to operate in a wide area.
Amorim’s arrival would not end Rashford’s career, far from it, as the England international could certainly find himself in the XI on a consistent basis if he is able to show his best form once again.
Amorim generally looks for his side to flood the penalty box when attacking, so Garnacho, Hojlund, Fernandes and Mainoo could be the most advanced of the 10 outfield players, while Garnacho and Fernandes would be asked to come inside to open up space for the wing-backs, with Dalot in particular better going forward then he is defensively.
The wide players in Amorim’s system do tend to be direct runners, which suggests that Rashford may be given the nod over Fernandes for certain matches, and it will be fascinating to see how the Man United side evolves under their new head coach.
