Ruben Amorim has been facing questions over his tactical setup since his first week in charge of Manchester United.
Ineos unanimously decided that Ruben Amorim was the perfect successor to Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, knowing that the Portuguese head coach would bring a unique style of play.
Since arriving in Manchester, Amorim has stubbornly stuck to his tactics, despite struggling to pick up results in the Premier League.
Amorim has meticulously trained 3-4-3 to try and help the United squad adapt, and he has frequently shut down suggestions that he should change his system.
Club owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has backed Amorim and suggested he will get three years to turn things around, and Amorim’s record in Portugal suggests he can make it work.
Ruben Amorim’s former players adore 3-4-3 system
Sporting fans were in tears at Amorim’s exit after his move to United was confirmed, which says everything you need to know about how much he was adored in Portugal.
Amorim took charge of Sporting during a club crisis and turned them into title winners in Portugal.
Sporting players ‘loved’ Amorim and his style of management, and his 3-4-3 system turned out to be a huge success both domestically and in the Champions League.
Via The Athletic, several of Amorim’s former players all showed support for their ex-boss and defended his tactical setup.
“Ruben has the virtue of making everyone believe in his ideas, so the change in tactics was a natural one,” said Mateus Fonseca, who played under Amorim at Casa Pia.
“We worked, believed, and saw things flow. Ruben created a winning spirit, a team, a group, a family. Of course, it takes time to create, but it is eventually achieved,” added midfielder Kikas.
Kikas also said: “Today I can tell you that if I were a coach, my tactic would be 3-4-3,” he says. “It is better for possession, better for pressuring the opposing team, closer to the finishing zone, more balanced.”
Ruben Amorim on why he plays 3-4-3 at Man United
The biggest criticism of Erik ten Hag’s United side was that it lacked identity and a clear style of play – Amorim was brought in to change that, and he has.
Amorim has stuck to his 3-4-3 system and made adaptations within it. It’s not a formation that United have often used throughout their history, but the Portuguese coach has explained exactly why he prefers it.
Speaking to Owen Hargreaves on TNT Sports, Amorim said: “I changed because of small things you see other teams doing.
READ MORE: Former manager shares ‘very, very honest’ verdict on how Man Utd fans have treated Ruben Amorim
“I remember when I started coaching, usually all the teams build up with three and push the full-backs up, and then we struggled a lot with a back four to cover all the space with the five guys on top of us.
“I started thinking about what I should do, because that is the fun part for me, and I started doing this system.”
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