This season, Manchester United has no European game to play, which should have become one of the team's advantages. However, the Red Devils still seem to have not found a way to win under Amorin. Manchester Evening News reporter Samuel Luckhurst...
This season, Manchester United has no European game to play, which should have become one of the team's advantages. However, the Red Devils still seem to have not found a way to win under Amorin. Manchester Evening News reporter Samuel Luckhurst expressed his views on the issues that Manchester United needs to solve.
If there is a team that can turn the advantage without European games into a disadvantage, it must be Manchester United. The six to seven-day interval between each game is already unlucky, and the sluggish mood will last longer. Manchester United can't even boost confidence through this event because they failed to make the third round of the League Cup.
One of the reasons Solskjaer was immediately in trouble after losing 0-5 to Liverpool by Manchester United was that they did not have the mid-week game. Manchester United caught off guard and had no succession plan, so Solskjaer barely held on for four weeks. However, the club has decided that he must leave and start making plans, which has suffered two more losses against Manchester City and Watford during this period. In the Elton John stands at Vicarage Road Stadium, Solskjaer could hardly hold on.
Van Gaal led the team to lose to Stoke City on Boxing Day (the fourth consecutive loss) but was still able to stay, thanks to the compact schedule. Two days later, Manchester United faced Chelsea at home. They performed quite motivatedly and ended with a 0-0 draw worth watching.
After a loss, the next few weeks seemed particularly long. Manchester United's next three games kicked off on Saturday, so the interval is one day longer than the six days between Manchester City and Chelsea, and another international match day is next. It was only a matter of time before Manchester United had decided to dismiss Tenhach during the international match day last October. It is puzzling that it took another three weeks after the October International Day before they fired Tenghach.
Last Sunday at the Etihad Stadium, fans shouted "I will be fired tomorrow morning." Last year, Tenghah did get fired on a Monday, which gave Fanny a whole week of temporary coaching time. However, Manchester United's attitude towards Amorin was not shaken.
Manchester United won only one of the first five games, the same as when they missed the European war last time in 2014-15. That season, Manchester United didn't make full use of the lighter game burden and ended up barely finishing fourth with a win in the last six games.
Manchester United's season was saved through two six-game winning streaks, which took place in winter and spring respectively. The latter includes victories against Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City, which are still one of United's best performances against these teams in the post-Ferguson era.
It was in that vibrant spring that Van Gaal found the formula to win. Six days after Arsenal ended Manchester United's trophy hopes in the FA Cup quarterfinals, Van Gaal teamed up Smalling with Phil Jones, moved Blinder Jr. to the left back and recalled Mata as the right winger. In the game against Tottenham, Manchester United took a 3-0 lead at the end of the half.
After a week, United maintained the same starting lineup at Liverpool, their performance at Anfield remains the best since 1997's 3-1 win. Three weeks later, the same starting lineup beat Manchester City 4-2 in the Manchester derby.
Amorin made 6 changes to the team's starting lineup in the first four rounds of the new season. He only maintained the same starting lineup against Lyon away, after Old Trafford and Manchester City had four days of squatting each other. Losing to a Manchester City who lacks the fear factor and is defeated by a team with a strong tactic in the first two games requires major reflection. Amorin will never give up the 3-4-2-1 system he loves but fails, and his stubbornness is also reflected in some choices.
Over-promoting Bayindel as the starting goalkeeper did not work. Amorin said Bayindel could be as good as Van der Sar, but he was not even as good as Raymond Van der Hu and Ramens, who might soon replace him.
Amorin called Luke Shaw a "world-class" player, which put him in trouble. Although Luke Shaw has made more than 40 appearances in three of 11 seasons, he is still just a support option.
For a 24-year-old player, Ugat seems too naive as a designated defensive midfielder. Fulham coach Marco Silva and winger Ivobi admitted they took advantage of Manchester United's numerical disadvantage in the midfield last month. Ugat had to take a step back or Amorin would have to go back to using Casemiro, which is less mobile.
Bruno Fernandez's redeployment in the midfield is unacceptable for many, but he performed well in the second half of last season, even slapped the hat-trick from this position against Real Sociedad. Manchester United has oversized options at the No. 10 but lacks options in the midfield. Leaving Fernandez deeper is better for the team's balance, but his defensive flaws must be eliminated, which can be done if Ugath can stay deeper.
The situation on Manchester United's wing is becoming increasingly worrying. Dalot, Mazlawi and Dogu were underperforming on the offensive end. Given that Amorin prefers left-footed players on the left wing, Amad deserves to try because he is better than the jerky Dugu.
Mbermo and Cunya are certain starting players when they are healthy, and Sheshko is pleading for playing time, but if he doesn't start the goal, his time may run out quickly. He must continue to start until at least October international match day.
The international match day will be cancelled next October, and the bad news is that the September break will be extended to three weeks. If Manchester United still misses the European game by then, it will be a disaster.
