Everyone loves to see Manchester United fail to win a game, but Amorim’s side are not as bad as they’ve been made out to be so far this season.

At the time of writing this, Manchester United are sat at 14th in the league table with seven points from their opening six matches with a goal difference of -4. If you told any football fans that information during the pre-season, they would not be suprised. Last season, they were abysmal. But not this season, they’re actually okay? But Amorim and the players still have several things to iron out.

Their results so far aren’t reflective of how they’ve actually performed. Personally I think they did enough to at least draw against Manchester City, a match they lost 3-0. Am I crazy? The xG score line backs me up too, United won the match 2.7-1.2. They created enough, they just didn’t hit the net. This has been a theme under Amorim so far, they under performed their xG last season by 8.6 expected goals and they’re currently short by 4.7 this season already.

Despite that, I’m not concerned by their attack. It will click, as long as they consistently keep their xG numbers high. They have also bolstered their attack with xG overperformers in Cunha and Mbeumo, once they get going… boy. Their attacking play is okay-goodish right now. Several issues however with their defence, or how they’re defending.

I have analysed every goal they have conceded so far this season (11), and there are a few trends which they need to work on.

Goals Conceded:

• Goal #1: vs Arsenal (Calafiori), Corner (Right side, to Six Yard Box). Bayindir isn’t commanding enough and flaps at the ball. If Calafiori didn’t head the ball it would have been an own goal for the keeper.
• Goal #2: vs Fulham (Smith-Rowe), Cross (Right side, to Six Yard Box). Nobody closes down Iwobi who crosses the ball into a dangerous area and finds Smith-Rowe whos run was not tracked by Bruno Fernandes.
• Goal #3: vs Burnley (Foster), Cross (Left side, to Six Yard Box). Nobody is able to close down the cross due to De Ligt and Dalot switching back into their positions at the wrong time. Foster was unmarked in the box despite four United players around him in the centre of the box. Shaw probably should have tracked him but likely confused by Dalot and De Ligt’s change of positions.
• Goal #4: vs Burnley (Anthony), Long Throw (Right side, to Near Post). United allow the near post flick on without any real challenge, but manage to head the ball away from the six yard box. Ball falls to Tchaouna who is free to shoot. Shot is fired straight at Bayindir but he cannot hold onto it, Anthony is then able to put the ball in the net from close range.
• Goal #5: vs Man City (Foden), Cross (Right side, to Penalty Spot). Doku makes a really good dribbling run into the box and his inital cross is blocked but manages to quickly make another. Foden is unmarked and heads the ball into the goal. Bruno Fernandes should have been the one to track Foden’s run into the box but let him go free. Bayindir’s positioning in goal also isn’t the best. If he were to have adjusted more centrally during the cross he likely saves it. United had four players in the centre of the box, none of them marked/tracked Haaland or Foden who were waiting for the cross.
• Goal #6: vs Man City (Haaland). This is a really good goal. Yoro gets the wrong side of Doku who is able to turn inside and play Haaland through.. Haaland chips Bayindir at the near post.
• Goal #7: vs Man City (Haaland). Gift of a goal. Luke Shaw makes a poor pass to Maguire in midfield, allowing Haaland to press Maguire into making another poor pass which lands to the feet of Silva who immediately puts Haaland through on goal one-on-one.
• Goal #8: vs Chelsea (Chalobah), Corner/Cross (Left side, to Far Post). Corner is taken short, James is able to cross the ball with no United player closing him down. Chalobah is unmarked and unchallenged and heads the ball into the net.
• Goal #9: vs Brentford (Thiago), Long Ball. Incredible finish. Only concern I have on this goal is that there was no counter press when the ball was turned over and Henderson was able to play long to Thiago. Maguire also steps up too late, allowing Thiago to be onside.
• Goal #10: vs Brentford (Thiago), Long Ball. Ball is hoofed up top from the defence towards Thiago who wins the flick-on unchallenged. Schade shoots from an impossible angle, Bayindir parries the ball into the centre of the penalty box where Thiago is free to score.
• Goal #11: vs Brentford (Jensen), Counter Attack. This is a really good counter attack from Brentford, however the shot should have been saved by Bayindir. Jensen is able to shoot from outside the box with zero closing down and the ball goes right down the middle of the goal.

Spotted any trends? Five of the eleven goals included potential goal keeping errors. For all but one of the goals from crosses, nobody closes down the crosser. Four of the goals included opposition players who were unmarked. Three of the goals came from set pieces. Bruno failed to track two runners into the box from midfield positions allowing them to score.

Around two-three of these goals I thought “fair enough, that’s a good goal”. For the rest? “Completely avoidable”. I can’t see a single goal here where I can blame the 3-4-3 system which has been under fire. If they can fix these issues in defence, they will appear a lot more solid. These issues are not coming from the system they are playing in, but personal errors. Another thing.. I think they need a new starting keeper in January.

One thing I have noticed is that Amorim keeps mixing up the wing back selection. In just six matches we have seen the following starting pairings (LWB-RWB): 1. Dorgu-Dalot, 2. Dorgu-Diallo, 3. Dalot-Diallo, 4. Dorgu-Mazraoui. They haven’t settled at all, but unsure if this has much impact on their defensive actions.

“The System Doesn’t Work!”

There has been a lot of talk about Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, and many calls from pundits and fans to move away from it, change formation, to “adapt”. But this is all very much nonsense. I think the discussion should be more focused on who is currently playing in the system, and why they’re struggling to implement Amorim’s philsophy.

One of the main objectives for any modern team with the ball is to at least have five attackers across their front line, filling in the half spaces, providing width, and a central attack. Most teams do this using either a 2-3-5 or a 3-2-5 when in possession. A few seasons ago you would often see Arsenal transition from a 4-3-3 into a 2-3-5 when attacking, with their fullbacks (Zinchenko & White) coming inside to protect the middle, supporting their defensive midfielder (Partey) to help prevent any counter attacks, while their two central midfielders (Odegaard & Xhaka) would push up into the half spaces.

How United look in and out of possession, shifting to a 3-2-5 and a 5-2-3.

For a 3-4-3, it’s fairly simple to transition into one of these shapes.. the work is done via the wing backs. When they push up, the formation becomes 3-2-5. When defending it becomes a 5-2-3, which is a fairly solid defensive structure. However, the issue I have with United’s 3-4-3is their central midfield personal. This is something I haven’t really seen Amorim tinker with.

For a successful 3-4-3, the central pairings tend to be very defensively focused. They are often used to recycle the ball when in possession, win the ball back, and screen the defensive back three. It is not often you find either of them joining the attack or roaming around playmaking. Box-to-Box, yes. That still has the defensive mentality for the position. Not to say you can’t have a playmaker in one of those positions, but they have to be switched on defensively and be disciplined out of possession.

Take a glance at the other Premier League side who are using a 3-4-3 system, Crystal Palace. They are flying. Unbeaten in eighteen matches and have just beaten the league champions Liverpool. Their two central midfielders? Wharton & Hughes. Both players protect the centre while the team attacks, with wing backs breaking forward to join the attack, creating that 3-2-5 formation. Neither player will deviate from their roles often, ensuring the back line is protected.

The best example to focus on is Conte’s Chelsea from the 2016/17 season, where they started the majority of their matches with Matic and Kante in the middle. Solid. Let the wing backs, inverting wingers, and striker do the attacking work.. we’ll make sure you don’t get counter attacked.

These are the very things I have concerns about in regards to Bruno Fernandes. Perhaps it is okay for him to roam if the central defender from the back three steps up into midfield as a pivot? But off the ball, I have doubts. His attacking numbers for United are exceptional, he is a key component for the side and a vital cog for their points collecting machine, but his defensive attributes and numbers are often left to be desired.

In summary.. I don’t believe sacking Amorim is the right call right now. They have started okay. The justice table (expected points) at fotmob has them in fourth place, ten places above where they currently are. The goals they have conceded have not come from tactical decisions from the boss, but rather from ball watching, lack of concentration and discipline, and poor judgements. Oh, and keeping errors.

Anyway, I look forward to never finding out what an Amorim’s 3-4-3 looks like with Ugarte and Casimero in midfield together.

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