The tenure of Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has descended into crisis.
A catastrophic EFL Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby Town following a winless start to the Premier League season.
Pundits and fans alike are now questioning the manager's rigid tactical system, its predictability, and a goalkeeping department that is plagued by errors.
What we have seen in the opening weeks of the season is not a team in transition, but a team in total disarray.
The humiliation at Blundell Park was not an anomaly; it was the inevitable result of a flawed strategy and a squad that looks entirely lost.
The new manager’s approach is a problem in and of itself, and the evidence is mounting that he is simply not the right man for the job.
Tactical Stubbornness
The primary issue with Amorim’s Manchester United is his dogmatic adherence to a 3-4-3 formation that many of us believe is a straitjacket for his players.
With just two players in the middle of the park, the team is constantly overrun and looks troubled.
Despite the obvious struggles, Amorim has refused to deviate from his system, with his stubbornness coming across as madness when it keeps exploiting the same mistakes.
This tactical rigidity has left United’s midfield exposed, and it has stifled the creativity of players who thrived in other systems.
The team has consistently struggled to create rhythm or control matches, a problem that was laid bare by Grimsby’s early dominance at Blundell Park.
Even when they were chaceing the game late on and brining on attacking options, they were not brought on in their strongest positions.
Mason Mount and new signing Bryan Mbuemo were forced to play as wingbacks in order for the manager to keep his system.
A Lack of Creativity and their Predictability
This tactical inflexibility has led to a major issue with predictability.
We are now seeing opposing teams finding it easy to counter United’s play because their system has been “found out.”
The team is overly reliant on transitional moments and has no coherent plan of how to score goals.
It appears all teams have to do is take the midfield two out of the game, which will force Manchester United to have to play through the wide areas which is easier to defend against, especially if you know it is coming.
As a result, United’s attackers, who cost over £200 million this summer, are struggling to make an impact.
The team has made a lot of changes, but the manager's commitment to a system that doesn't fit the players is proving to be a fatal flaw.
The Goalkeeping Crisis
The tactical issues are being exacerbated by a goalkeeping department that has come under intense scrutiny.
The calamitous goalkeeping mistakes by Andre Onana in the Grimsby game was not an isolated incident.
Onana has been a source of consistent errors that have cost United dearly, turning victories into draws, and draws into defeats.
While Amorim has defended Onana, his own recent comments about the team being “completely lost” and his refusal to watch the penalty shootout against Grimsby suggest he has lost faith in his players.
His number two from last season Altay Bayındır, who started the first two Premier League games, has also not covered himself in glory with his performances.
The crisis at Old Trafford is deep-seated, but the humiliating defeat to Grimsby has confirmed to many of us that the Amorim himself has now become a major part of the problem.
Manchester United news and related links
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