Manchester United stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
Ruud van Nistelrooy was on the Old Trafford sidelines for his second match in charge but Manchester United were not able to replicate their five-goal display from midweek.
United started slowly and struggled to create chances, but Rasmus Hojlund won a penalty with 20 minutes remaining which was dispatched by captain Bruno Fernandes.
However, former United target Moises Caicedo drew the visitors level just moments later.
Ruben Amorim is set to become head coach on November 11th and the 39-year-old will be expected to revive United’s season. Van Nistelrooy picked up a point ahead of his arrival, but United still sit 13th in the Premier League table.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will stick to his plan
Following Erik ten Hag being sacked as manager, Van Nistelrooy was announced as the interim manager.
It has now been confirmed that Amorim will join during the November international break and the Sporting Lisbon boss is expected to implement a 3-4-3 system at Old Trafford.
There were a few question marks around whether Van Nistelrooy would experiment with Amorim’s tactics and field a back three in anticipation of the new head coach, but he stuck to his guns and instead lined up his side in a very similar fashion to that of a Ten Hag team.
Van Nistelrooy still has two games remaining and it seems he will stick to his 4-2-3-1 system during his time in charge.
Noussair Mazraoui can thrive under Ruben Amorim
If we take a look at how Amorim will line up at Man United, wing-backs are a crucial part of his system.
There has been a lot of talk about who could fill those spots – including a potential role for Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo, but Noussair Mazraoui proved against Chelsea that he is perfect for the role.
United’s £13m summer signing started on the left under Van Nistelrooy and showed off his incredible technical ability – something that will help him climb the pecking order under Amorim.
Mazraoui has settled in brilliantly at United and he definitely has a future under Amorim.
Rasmus Hojlund pros and cons
Hojlund was given the nod to lead the line for United after impressing since his return to injury.
He played a key role in the victory after winning the penalty in the second half which was calmly converted by Fernandes.
But before that, there were a few moans and groans from the supporters at Old Trafford towards Hojlund and the lack of urgency in his passing.
A half-time stat also revealed he had failed to take a touch inside Chelsea’s box in the first 45 minutes. There were glimpses of Hojlund’s huge promise, but there were also some clear flaws to work on.
United lacking quality
United did not look like a team ready to compete for Champions League qualification.
It was a very sleepy performance from United, who lacked quality in almost every area of the pitch. There were far too many cheap mistakes and misplaced passes.
There appeared to be a clear lack of urgency despite United desperately needing to get their season back on track.
Amorim has a big job on his hands.
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho conundrum
Goals have been a huge issue for United this season and everyone across the front line needs to chip in more. United are the second-lowest scorers in the Premier League – only Southampton and Crystal Palace have scored fewer.
Van Nistelrooy went with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho out wide against Chelsea, but once again it was difficult to find a balance.
Both wingers want to play off the left, and neither seem to be quite as effective off the right.
Garnacho played off the left on Sunday but was not on top form and it caused United’s attack to struggle. It is a conundrum that Amorim will have to fix, although his change in formation poses another problem entirely for the two wingers.
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