🔗 Share this article Now is right to change Manchester United's system - Ruben Amorim states. Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes was among multiple first-team stars absent from the holiday period victory against Newcastle United. Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him. For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and instead field an standard four-man defense with two holding midfielders. He himself conceded this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign. Although he once memorably said that even the highest authority could compel him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize varied setups has always been part of his long-term vision. Yet, he clarifies he could solely alter the tactics when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was giving in to outside pressure. "When I came here last season, I recognized maybe I lacked the players to excel in that system, but it was the start of a project," he stated. "The goal was to build an identity. Now is a distinct juncture. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need adjust, so they see the reason we are switching things up. "It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters. "When media discuss altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager. "Once we are playing well in our system, that becomes the opportunity to adapt. "We are going to become a stronger squad because when all the players are available, we are not going to employ a back three all the time." Squad Challenges Persist With just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well. He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers. That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval. Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to return after his muscle problem. "Bruno is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that." Fernandes' Influence Endures Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game. Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering guidance. "The guy is a leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain. "There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed. "I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain." Return Schedule for Key Players Although the exact date for the captain's return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes was among multiple first-team stars absent from the holiday period victory against Newcastle United. Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that switching Man Utd's formation due to media scrutiny would have meant "his demise" for him. For the first time against Newcastle United, Amorim ditched his trademark back three setup with wing-backs and instead field an standard four-man defense with two holding midfielders. He himself conceded this at times transformed into a six-man defensive block in the latter minutes as his squad dug in for a crucial result - securing only their second-ever shutout of the campaign. Although he once memorably said that even the highest authority could compel him to change his approach, Amorim asserts the ability to utilize varied setups has always been part of his long-term vision. Yet, he clarifies he could solely alter the tactics when his team were performing sufficiently well - lest it would look as if he was giving in to outside pressure. "When I came here last season, I recognized maybe I lacked the players to excel in that system, but it was the start of a project," he stated. "The goal was to build an identity. Now is a distinct juncture. We don't have a full complement of personnel, and we need adjust, so they see the reason we are switching things up. "It is not because of the pressure of you guys, or the supporters. "When media discuss altering the formation repeatedly, I cannot change because the squad will think I'm altering things because of external voices and I think that is a disaster for the manager. "Once we are playing well in our system, that becomes the opportunity to adapt. "We are going to become a stronger squad because when all the players are available, we are not going to employ a back three all the time." Squad Challenges Persist With just two wins in their last eight outings before beating Newcastle, it is questionable whether Amorim is correct to claim his team have been playing well. He is, though, working with a injury-ravaged roster, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the forthcoming fixture against struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers. That total will increase if midfielder Mason Mount is unable to recover the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at the interval. Skipper Bruno Fernandes is a key name who will be absent for the Wolves match, even though he is understood to be pushing his manager to let him to return after his muscle problem. "Bruno is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is absolutely no possibility he is going to play against Wolves. Definitely not. You can write that." Fernandes' Influence Endures Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly still be deeply engaged, as whereas most unavailable players view matches from a private box, Fernandes was observed keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game. Amorim is sure his leader to carry on offering guidance. "The guy is a leader," he stated. "He must not be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's constantly vocal. That is the reason he's the captain. "There are bad things at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of good things. After he finishes treatment, he heads to watch the other guys training. There are a many aspects that go unnoticed. "I'm not sure if he desires my job or not, but he's a leader. The guy is a true captain." Return Schedule for Key Players Although the exact date for the captain's return - and that of other injured players like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - remains uncertain, before the conclusion of January, the club will see the return of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.