United finally picked up their first Premier League victory of the season on Saturday, edging past newly-promoted Burnley 3-2 thanks to a late spot-kick from Bruno Fernandes. ..Continue Reading
Despite the win, the performance left fans unconvinced and did little to ease the pressure mounting on Amorim.
The result was especially vital following their embarrassing Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby Town earlier in the week.
That shock defeat sparked widespread debate about Amorim’s tactical philosophy and whether the current squad is truly equipped to execute his vision on the pitch.
Since the loss at Blundell Park, questions have intensified around the manager’s system and its compatibility with the players at his disposal.
When asked about the subject after last week’s defeat to Grimsby, he said: “They asked me, before I arrived can you play this system? I will say, I will do my system no matter what,” he said.
Amorim added: “We lost against Grimsby because of the system? In the first half, I didn’t know the system. So, it’s not the system.”
Man United have picked up four points from a possible nine in the Premier League thus far – a defeat to Arsenal, a draw against Fulham and last week’s win over Burnley.
But the conversation around Amorim’s formation continues, although a number of stats have emerged that suggest they are performing above expectations.
As pointed out by StatMuse FC, Man United are leading the way when it comes to shots, touches in the opponents’ box and accurate crosses in the Premier League, while they rank second in shots on target. expected goals and accurate long balls.
Here’s how supporters on social media have reacted to the data.
One said: “Amorim’s system is NOT the problem!”, and a second wrote: “This is why Amorim is upset and annoyed. Attacking stats-wise, we have improved immensely due to the system, but not finishing, which is on the players. It will come in time, trust the system!”
A third commented: “I don’t understand why some United fans speak against Amorim’s system. His system will win us titles, it is just a matter of time.”
A fourth said: “All this tells me is we still lack the players that can put these chances away. It’s a good system, don’t get me wrong, but we need a 25+ goal scorer at United. That would solve a lot of the unfair criticism towards Amorim and the squad.”
A fifth added: “The more I look at these stats, I can feel my opinion on Amorim changing drastically. The numbers prove that the system isn’t the problem. We have gotten so much better. We just need to be more clinical.”
