Ruben Amorim’s one tactical change unleashed Man Utd’s second-half comeback vs Everton, there’s no going back

Add as preferred source on Google

The alarm bells at Manchester United have been snoozed until the next game after they came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Everton’s Goodison Park.

What looked like a battering-in-waiting after two first-half Everton goals ultimately ended up being canceled out by Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte’s second-half goals.

Ruben Amorim’s brutal verdict on Man Utd vs Everton clearly showed that the performance levels were far from good enough.

In fact, the team needed a tactical change from him that ultimately powered the second-half comeback that delayed the panic button.

Ruben Amorim’s tactical change vs Everton

Buoyed somewhat by the returns of some key personnel, especially in midfield, the United XI had a lot less of the “makeshift” look that the lineup against Spurs had.

The key contributor was Manuel Ugarte, the Uruguayan who is quickly becoming the glue that holds this patchy team together through sheer legs and discipline.

However, Casemiro started alongside him while Alejandro Garnacho dropped to the bench in a curious decision from the Man Utd manager.

Having seen enough of his team getting outworked in the midfield and suffering from a lack of ball progression, Amorim was proactive in the second half, with his first sub changing the game.

On came Garnacho, and off went Casemiro, resulting in the tactical change that powered United’s comeback – Bruno Fernandes shifting into a deeper midfield role.

Now alongside Ugarte with Garnacho up ahead, that change fixed multiple issues at once for United, paving the way for the future where there should be no going back.

Bruno Fernandes crucial as a deeper midfielder for Man Utd

Moving Fernandes deeper solves two big issues at the same time.

At this stage of his career for Casemiro, there isn’t much difference between what Fernandes provides in covering the ground defensively and what the Brazilian does.

Secondly and most importantly, the raking passes from deep to find runners beyond the shoulder of the last defender are such an important part of how this team attacks.

Casemiro is capable of executing the odd pass like that but Fernandes is in a league of his own in terms of long, searching balls from deep.

For the player as well, playing deeper affords him space and time on the ball which he needs to be effective because he’s not someone who beats people off the dribble or runs past them on sheer pace.

It’s a shift that just makes sense from all perspectives and the eye test against Everton proved it too.

There’s no going back from it. Fernandes should line up alongside Ugarte is the first-choice pivot.