Amad has quickly established himself as one of the cornerstones of both Amorim and United‘s project. The club considers him one of the pillars for the present and the future, while Amorim has been trying him as a right wing-back to incorporate both him and Bryan Mbeumo into his rigid 3-4-3 system.
The results of this experiment have been mixed so far. There’s no denying Amad’s effervescent presence and attacking quality when he’s operating in the final third. He has developed an effective partnership with Mbeumo down the right flank. However, teams have consistently attempted to take advantage of his defensive limitations.
Amorim, however, defended his decision to field Amad out of position last December, stating: “He’s very good playing in that position [wing-back], but also playing between the lines because he has good control and he seems faster with the ball than without the ball. He is capable of playing in both positions and he can play in different systems. You need to to have good physicality [at wing-back]. Good physicality is not the size, but he can run. And that is a key point in that position. The technical characteristics are perfect for him.”
United possess decent full-backs in Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, and Patrick Dorgu. However, they have failed to impose their authority individually when fielded in the 3-4-3 formation. The observation is simple: either Amorim ditches his principles to better integrate the profiles at his disposal, or United invest more into the market.
“We need time to improve the characteristics of the team. I’ve said that over the last year,” Amorim told reporters on Friday when asked if he wants to sign more wing-backs. “To give an example, in the last game [against Everton], we should have an Amad with the right foot to put on the other side to play against 10 men.
“It is these characteristics that in time we will try to get to be a better team. If we are the perfect set-up to play in this way, not yet. But like any team, we need time to put the right characteristics into every position.”
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While United’s performances over the past few months will have relieved some of the pressure off Amorim’s shoulders, the Portuguese coach has often been criticised for his stubbornness and tactical rigidity. He is using the 3-4-3 formation at United which brought him plenty of success at Sporting CP. The results, however, haven’t been replicated at Old Trafford.
Critics have placed the blame on Amorim for forcing his system onto the players he has, rather than tailoring his approach to maximise the resources and profiles available to him. While Amorim continues to place faith in his principles amid an inconsistent run, his counterpart Oliver Glasner has delivered two trophies in the past six months using a similar formation. Glasner has historically been a head coach adept at adapting to the players, having used multiple formations across different clubs he has been in charge of.
“We play in a different way,” Amorim asserted. “You can understand that by data. It is hard to explain everything. They are a different club and they are doing things better than us. That is quite simple.
“You don’t say that all 4-3-3 teams play in the same way. We play in a different moment, we defend in a different space, we attack in a different way. They are just doing things better than us.”
For all the talk and pressure Amorim is faced with, Glasner believes there’s a lot of promise in what he is doing at United.
“It’s really funny talking about the 3-4-3 system, and I think United have the highest xG in the Premier League for scoring goals,” Glasner said. “Their team has changed. Especially in attack. They needed more goals and they invested £200m, buying three players up front. Also, now they have players who can play very intense like [Bryan] Mbeumo.
“For me, it’s impressive to see. We compared it [their last meeting] to where they are now. I think their work-rate is much higher than it was last year and then they get the reward.”
United currently sit in 10th position on the Premier League table, just two points below Palace, their opponents on Sunday. A win against an in-form Palace side pushing for the top four will prove to be a huge morale booster for a United team that has failed to register a win in their previous three league games.
However, the gap between the Red Devils and a place in the top four is just four points. The season still has a long way to go, and if United can finish within the top six come May, it will be considered a huge leap in the right direction.
