After the heavy defeat in the Manchester Derby last weekend, Bruno Amorim is fighting to regain the trust of Manchester United (Man Utd) players. However, senior members of the dressing room have expressed growing concerns about his tactical system.
Man Utd’s 0-3 loss to Manchester City (Man City) has put immense pressure on Amorim himself, with the Portuguese manager now struggling to keep his job. A number of senior Man Utd players are frustrated and confused by Amorim’s refusal to adjust his tactics and system.
Amorim’s stubborn adherence to the 3-4-3 formation and his refusal to be flexible have raised significant concerns among key figures in the dressing room. Some players believe that the manager’s repeated demands for them to adapt to a tactical system they are not proficient in is, in fact, detrimental to the team’s performance.
A poor start to the new season has left Amorim facing mounting pressure to turn things around – the club has secured just four points from the first four league games. Despite internal sources at Man Utd insisting their "position of support for Amorim remains unchanged," the club’s senior management continues to place full trust in him.
Nevertheless, Man Utd fans were shocked by the debacle at the Etihad Stadium, and many even argued that the 0-3 scoreline was overly generous. This season, Man Utd has won only one game (a narrow victory over newly promoted Burnley thanks to a 97th-minute penalty) and was eliminated from the EFL Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town. After finishing with the club’s worst league ranking this century (15th place) last season, Amorim was desperate to prove himself with a strong start to the new season – but the result has been deeply disappointing.
In the 31 Premier League games he has overseen, Amorim has claimed just 8 wins; the four-point haul also represents the club’s worst start since 1992. This summer, Man Utd provided him with £236 million in transfer funds to reinforce the squad, signing new players such as Mbemba, Cunha, Šeško and Lammers. However, these signings have yet to deliver the expected impact – and Amorim still refuses to compromise on his tactical style or formation.
