Ruben Amorim facing major resistance and added complication to Man Utd overhaul

Manchester United are entering the summer on the back of their worst-ever Premier League season and Ruben Amorim has promised supporters that they’ll be better next season

Ruben Amorim’s bid to make Manchester United play his way is facing an added complication because the club’s academy teams continue to use a tactical blueprint that doesn’t fit his philosophy.

Amorim accepts that United are unable to spend their way back to the top after missing out on a £100million Champions League jackpot with defeat in the Europa League Final. And the Reds’ boss is ready to keep up the Old Trafford tradition of bringing through youngsters from United’s hugely-productive youth set-up during his rebuild after implementing a similar plan at Sporting Lisbon.

But United’s academy teams are grounded to play a 4-3-3 system that Amorim has no faith in. And he feels the task of bedding young players into his senior squad is even tougher because of how they have spent their formative years.

Old Trafford academy chiefs insist they continue to produce footballers with a skill-set to adapt to any tactical request – and Amorim has given first-team debuts this season to youngsters Harry Amass and Tyler Fredricson. He also included the likes of Dan Armer, Jaydan Kamason, Godwill Kukonki, Tyler Fletcher, Sekou Kone, Shea Lacey, Jack Moorhouse and Jim Thwaites in United’s squad for a post-season tour of the Far East.

But there is a disconnect between the way United’s age-group teams play and how Amorim sets up his senior side.

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The Reds’ boss remains wedded to a formation that employs a three-man defence and demands that wing-backs provide attacking width. It was a philosophy that worked for him when he was building a reputation as one of Europe’s best coaches at Braga and Sporting.

And he refused steadfastly to adapt his beliefs despite inheriting a United squad that struggled badly to meet their manager’s demands from the moment he took charge in November.

A source said: “Amorim made it clear when he spoke to United about becoming the coach that he needed the freedom to play the way he did in Portugal. Sporting, like United, have a reputation for developing their own talent and their academy also traditionally used 4-3-3.

“But when Amorim became the coach there was also a shift towards 3-4-3 and 3-4-2-1 at youth level to mirror the first team.

“If you look at how Sporting played in the UEFA Youth League this season, you will see that they played with all three formations.”

Some of the problems Amorim inherited at Old Trafford mirror issues he dealt with ruthlessly when he became Sporting coach with 11 games of the 2019-20 season remaining. He immediately ditched the 4-2-3-1 formation employed by managerial predecessor Silas.

Fans’ favourites like Marcos Acuna and Islam Slimani were sold after failing to buckle down to the new boss’ requirements in the same way that Amorim wants to move on Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

A new data-driven approach to recruitment saw players like Pedro Concalves, Pedro Porro, Joao Mario, Nuno Santos, Zouhair Feddal and Bruno Tabata arrive that summer to help implement his tactical requirements.

And the emergence of Matheus Nunes, Eduardo Quaresma, Nuno Mendes, Joelson Fernandes and Tiago Tomas from the youth system helped Sporting become Portuguese champions for the first time in 19 years with just one defeat all season.

Sporting lifted the Portuguese title again under Amorim last year – and have retained the trophy this season despite successor Joao Pereira lasting eight games and current coach Rui Borges opting to use 4-4-2. When Amorim left the club to move to Manchester, his team were averaging 65 percent possession during domestic games.

The United boss spoke often during his tough introduction to life in Manchester about being given the backing of United’s owners.

The source added: “Of course Amorim would like money to use in the transfer market.

“But he also needs to be given the freedom to impose the methods he believes in on the club.”

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