The highly anticipated era of Ruben Amorim began with a 1-1 draw away to Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town. Man United had parted ways with Ten Hag after a 2-1 loss away to West Ham with the Manchester United board choosing to pay an exorbitant price to take the Portuguese manager away from Sporting CP. The task at hand seems enormous for the 39-year-old with the former Sporting manager tasked with restoring United to the upper echelons of European Football.
With little time to settle in at a club with big expectations like United, Amorim’s major task would be bringing out the best from the players at his disposal. During his stint at Sporting, Amorim was known for his acumen in regularly developing players, constantly incorporating players from Sporting’s youth system.
Ruben Amorim’s tactical setup in a 3-4-3 formation will definitely change the dynamics of Man United’s current squad with certain players likely to benefit from the change in style. Here are a few players we think could benefit from a change in management:
Amad Diallo
The Ivorian was a peripheral figure under Ten Hag but has recently become a fan favourite with some match winning performances. Amad Diallo is a versatile player, able to play across every spot in the forward line while also possessing the defensive discipline and athleticism to feature as a wingback. The 22-year-old already has three assists and one goal in six Premier League starts this season with an average of 1.6 key passes per game and is on track in becoming a key figure for Ruben Amorim.
Marcus Rashford
A very polarizing figure at United, Rashford has failed to really hit the heights of his Manchester United career, even losing his place at the England squad. However, the English winger could benefit from Amorim’s style of play as his two wingers act as inside forwards rather than holding the width as wide wingers. In Rashford’s most productive Premier League season for Manchester United (2022/23) with 17 goals and 5 assists, his season heat map highlights his efficiency as an inside forward, often drifting from wide areas into more dangerous spaces in central areas. Under Ruben Amorim, it’s expected that Marcus Rashford could revive his career with more license to play centrally.
Lisandro Martinez
Already a fan favorite, Lisandro Martinez had already established himself as an important first-team player under Ten Hag but occasionally fell short of his full potential. Under Ten Hag, Lisandro Martinez was unable to showcase his technical ability in buildup fully, but with Amorim’s structured patterns of play in the first phase of build up, Lisandro Martinez’s line-breaking passes would be a critical in helping United progress the ball towards the opposition half. His aggression off the ball would also be important in covering spaces when transiting from attack to defense.
Rasmus Hojlund
Still yet to hit the ground running in a Man United shirt yet showing his potential with 16 goals and 2 assists in all competitions for Man United last season, Rasmus Hojlund is set to benefit from Ruben Amorim’s style of play. Often left isolated in Ten Hag’s disconnected 4-2-3-1, Hojlund was often left to feed on scraps with his teammates finding it difficult to create space or find the Danish striker.
Hojlund’s 1.3 shots per game in the Premier League last season was a result of United’s limited movement in the final third, but with Amorim’s offensive fullback with support from both inside forwards, central midfielders and wingbacks, we are bound to see an increased output in attack for the 22-year-old.
