Ruben Amorim must find ways to improve Manchester United without costly additions in the transfer market – here are FIVE solutions from within the current Red Devils squad

How do you solve a problem like Manchester United? That’s the challenge before Ruben Amorim. 

Presumably it’s a question he provided a sufficient enough answer to Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co to convince them to part with Erik ten Hag and prise him away from his all-conquering Sporting CP side. 

But in the days that have followed his confirmation as Red Devils boss, reports have indicated that his task comes with an uncomfortable condition: How do you solve a problem like Manchester United, whose squad is packed full of expensive players you might not fancy, without the budget to correct it? 

Clearly there is little appetite among the United hierarchy to conduct another major overhaul of the playing squad. Indeed, their profit and sustainability position means another significant outlay would come with even costlier consequences. 

So Amorim will have to make do with what he has. Let’s not feel too sorry for him though. He may not be afforded the £600million to spend like his predecessor but the Portuguese is still about to get his hands on the most talented squad he has ever worked with. 

What solutions can be found in the Red Devils’ current roster for Amorim to fashion the side in his own image and dramatically improve performances, results and the mood at Old Trafford? 

The 39-year-old is tasked with transforming the fortunes of the Red Devils, though he will not have as many funds to spend on new recruits 

Utilise Antony at right-wing back 

We’re coming out the gate hot with this one but the simple fact of the matter is that the Red Devils have to find a way to rehabilitate Antony’s market value. The £85.5m they spent on him in 2022 was £40m too much at the time and if the club have hopes of recouping even half the fee they spent, they’ll need to reintegrate him into the side. 

Ten Hag had clearly given up on him by the end, affording the Brazilian only 27 minutes of action in the Premier League. Amorim’s expected 3-4-3 would almost certainly mark an end to his days as a United attacker but he could prove to a useful wing-back option. 

In the Portuguese’s system, his wing-backs operate in similar positions to wingers, staying high and wide in order to pull apart the opponent’s shape and open up central areas. 

Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and Tyrell Malacia are obvious candidates for starting berths, while Luke Shaw could deputise for Lisandro Martinez at centre-back, given his experience in the role and injury record. 

Before further reinforcements can be acquired, Antony could do an interesting job for the new United boss against weaker opposition or when the side is chasing a goal. 

His performance in United’s 4-3 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season provides a blueprint. In probably his best game for the club, the 24-year-old hugged the touchline, successfully completed all six of his dribbles and assisted a goal after a sublime cross with the outside of his foot. 

Antony founds himself on the periphery of United’s first team squad following a succession of poor performances in his debut campaign

Play Marcus Rashford as a striker

‘More often than not, I prefer to play on the left.’ said Marcus Rashford after grabbing a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in December 2022. The forward was on his way to scoring 30 goals in all competitions – his best-ever return – as United qualified for the Champions League and won the Carabao Cup. 

It was hard to argue against Rashford’s wish but two years later, the landscape has drastically changed. The goals have dried up, just eight in his last 44 top-flight games, and other wide forwards at the club have emerged. 

Returning to Rashford’s comments after the win over Forest, he added: ‘If there is a weakness in the middle or there is a certain style of player that I feel I can exploit, then I like to have the freedom to try and move and try and do that. I like to see what I can sense on the pitch.’

Freedom could be a particularly important word under Amorim, whose teams enjoy flexibility and rotate heavily within his structure. The Englishman could be deployed as a central striker but frequently switch positions with the two No 10s behind him or even one of the wing-backs. 

It should also be noted that Rashford had a good record when played down the middle. In his best-ever season, Ten Hag played him as a central striker 12 times in the league and his record was seven goals and four assists. 

For all of his faults, Rashford is almost always available. Since his breakthrough in 2016 he has never played fewer than 31 Premier League matches. That could be particularly valuable to Amorim with the injury record of Rasmus Hojlund and the struggles of Joshua Zirkzee. 

Marcus Rashford has scored only eight Premier League goals in his last 44 appearances

Target a low-risk loan deal 

According to recent reports, Amorim doesn’t see a future for Zirkzee at Old Trafford. It seems odd to cast him aside after only a few months but should he make a hasty exit in January, that’ll open up a space in the squad that will need to be filled for not much money. 

A loan deal could provide the perfect solution and there happens to be a player on the market who fits the bill. PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani has not had the best of times since returning to France last year. 

The forward had been linked with a move to Manchester before the Parisian’s completed his signing for an eye-watering £77m. The 25-year-old’s debut campaign was underwhelming and this term has begun in the same fashion. 

Luis Enrique has given him just two starts in the league and he’s even failed to make it off the bench in a couple of matches. 

There is still a player of immense quality in there and United could do a lot worse than bring him to the club on a temporary basis. 

Randal Kolo Muani has only been handed two starts in the French top-flight this season

Keep players fit

The number of injuries United suffered last year provided some mitigation for their woeful domestic and European performance. That’s until the issues persisted into this season. 

Amorim has brought with him to Manchester Paulo Barreira, a sports scientist and former employee of Liverpool and Arsenal. He will be tasked with ensuring that the club’s injury record improves. 

United have a raft of players returning to full fitness, including summer signing Leny Yoro

And we will soon discover if Ten Hag’s training methods were responsible for the epidemic or the club has a ton of injury-prone players. 

The outlook at the moment looks positive for the new boss, with the likes of Malacia, Leny Yoro, Shaw and Mason Mount nearing a return to the matchday squad. The upcoming festive schedule provides a great opportunity for the players to get some minutes under their belts.

More rotation 

A tinkerer, Ten Hag was not. The Dutchman had his favourites, especially in attack, and would ride, or in his case die by his choice. Amorim will have to take a different approach, given the point on injuries above as well as the busy schedule ahead. 

United’s clash at Portman begins a run of 11 matches in 37 days across three competritions

The Portuguese’s first game in the United dugout against Ipswich on Sunday begins a run of 11 matches in 37 days across three competitions. United play a midweek fixture in each of the next five weeks, including big clashes against Arsenal, Tottenham in the League Cup and vital Europa League matches. 

It is shaping up to be a pivotal stretch for the club, who, despite sitting in 13th place in the division, are just four points outside a top four spot. 

The latest new era at Manchester United starts this week and its success will depend on Amorim’s ability to make the most of what he’s got. 

Should Champions League qualification and or a cup win be achieved, his job will only get easier from here.