Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United’s dismal run of form is making it harder for him to sell his players on his tactical model. Monday’s 2-0 home loss to Newcastle saw United suffer five league defeats in the same calendar month for the first time since September 1962, and a fourth straight reverse in all competitions means the Red Devils have lost six of their last eight.
Amorim is yet to do anything to arrest the alarming slide which led to Erik ten Hag’s dismissal in October, and the latest defeat left them in 14th place in the Premier League, seven points above the drop zone with increasing talk of a relegation battle.
Much has been said about Amorim’s 3-4-3 system and the difficulties United’s squad – not built to play this way – have had in adapting, but the Portuguese is determined to press on. “Of course I didn’t choose the players specifically for these positions but that I already knew,” he said.
“I have to sell my idea. If I am going to change all the time it is going to be even worse. “But I understand they have a lot of difficulties because they spend two years playing one way and then they are playing another and with a lot of losses, it’s really tough on them and you can feel it during the game.
“Even (against Newcastle) when we are near to scoring it’s more from (Newcastle mistakes) than the organisation and you can feel it but I have to sell my idea, I don’t have another one.”. Amorim did not have the benefit of a pre-season to implement such a major change to United’s tactical model, and admitted that is having a significant impact.
