Ruben Amorim has already changed what worked best against Liverpool last season, it needs a rethink

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Don’t fix what’s not broken, as they say, but Ruben Amorim has fixed what was flourishing, and ahead of a trip to Anfield, it needs a rethink.

The pressure on Ruben Amorim at Man Utd was calmed down a bit after a serene 2-0 victory against Sunderland before the international break.

However, next up is a trip to Anfield to face a Liverpool side eager to get back to winning ways, which is always a tricky proposition.

Amorim needs all the players to be at their best, as anything less than a 100% effort will see them get battered. It extends to Amorim, who needs to rethink his decision to tweak what worked at Anfield last season.

Ruben Amorim’s saw Bruno Fernandes at his best

For all the criticism Amorim’s system has received at Old Trafford, justifiably or unjustly, it’s interesting to note the game where his system worked the best.

It was precisely in this game last season when Man Utd fans were given a glimpse of how dominating this team can look when Amorim’s system is in full flow.

The wide centre-backs were overlapping and wreaking havoc, the midfielders were snapping into tackles, the attackers were making Liverpool dizzy with their movement, and United deserved the win, which they didn’t get.

At the heart of it all was captain Bruno Fernandes, who put forward a marvellous display of poise, skill, and end product.

He did all of that by playing closer to the goal as an attacking midfielder. He did drop deep to get on the ball at times, but it was further forward where he unleashed his devastating best with the ball.

Ahead of this year’s trip to Anfield, however, that has been needlessly changed, and Fernandes could well turn from a boon to a curse.

Amorim needs to rethink Fernandes’ role

Fernandes can turn from a boon to a curse because Amorim has redefined his role this season.

No longer is he trusted to make a difference in the final third, with his defensive work a bonus on top of it.

If anything, he’s being forced to track runners and cover gaps defensively as his first order of duty, with any attacking contribution a distant second.

It has led to a situation where his worst tendencies – reckless passing, positional indiscipline, and raw tackling – have come to the fore, while his strengths have faded into the background.

Those bad tendencies will be happily punished by a clinical outfit like Liverpool, and his strengths won’t be able to surface if United are under the cosh, as is expected.

If there was ever a game that should force Amorim to rethink his role for Fernandes, it’s the one where he already has a history of success to rely upon.