Three Man Utd players causing Ruben Amorim headache and huge sacrifice may be made

It is easy to see why Ruben Amorim might have wanted a full pre-season to implement his physically-demanding 3-4-2-1 system at Manchester United. After securing two victories and a draw in his first three matches, the teething issues experienced in defeats against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have shown why moving United on from the Erik ten Hag era will be a difficult task.

Amorim insisted that he would begin life at Old Trafford deploying the same formation that gave him plenty of success at Sporting CP. But even in those wins against Bodo/Glimt and Everton, players were square pegs in round holes. A change could be necessary to improve United’s short-term results.

Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho seem unsuited to the two-pronged No. 10 positions behind the centre-forward. It is a role that requires players to receive the ball on the half-turn high up the pitch, drive at the opposition and be creative in the final third.

Garnacho is far more effective running at a full-back out wide than he is receiving possession in congested central areas. His delivery in the final third still leaves plenty to be desired. Fernandes, meanwhile, is an excellent creator but is at his best when he roams deep and has players running beyond him – rather than being closer to the forward line.

The Portuguese midfielder is not an instinctive presser either. United have looked better out of possession when Mason Mount has replaced Fernandes in that position later in games.

Fernandes’ issue is that his defensive weaknesses mean he is also not suited to one of the deeper central midfield roles. Amorim therefore realises that to get his captain on the pitch, he has to play him in a higher position that does not entirely suit his skillset.

At Sporting, Amorim’s wing-backs were key to their success. They were hugely dynamic, bursting forward to act as wingers in attack. They were defensively sound when the Portuguese champions did not have the ball.

Amorim might have believed that Amad Diallo’s energy made him a perfect fit for the role. But the 22-year-old’s defensive ability has seen him struggle in a right-wing-back position. He has been receiving the ball too deep to be effective in possession and his tendency to move inside the pitch onto his stronger left foot has sometimes caused him to lose the ball.

Perhaps Amad would be better as a left-wing-back, where he would provide natural width and be effective at crossing with his left foot. Signing new wing-backs needs to be a priority for United.

Amorim may be forced to ditch his favoured system for the short-term, at least until he has a squad better suited to the roles. An improvement in United’s results must be the priority, with the Red Devils now sitting a lowly 13th in the Premier League.

For now, Amorim needs to get the best out of the players at his disposal and that could mean a change in formation.