Amorim reveals Man Utd breaking point behind formation change as Fernandes pushes for shock return | OneFootball

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has revealed the point at which he decided it was time to move away from his normally unchangeable formation, adding that it was nothing to do with media pressure that would have ultimately signalled “the end” for him.

The Portuguese tactician moved away from a back three with wing-backs for the first time against Newcastle United, moving to an orthodox back four with two holding midfielders instead.

By his own admission, that became a back six in the final stages of the game as his Man Utd side held on for victory – recording only their second clean sheet of the season in the process.

Having previously said that not even the Pope could force him to change his system, Amorim now states that the ability to play with different formations has always been part of his plan at Old Trafford.

However, he says he could only make the switch when performances were on an upward trend, otherwise it would look like he was bowing to external noise.

“When I came here last season, I understood maybe I don’t have the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a process,” he said.

“We were trying to build an identity. Today is a different moment. We don’t have a lot of players, and we need to adapt, so they understand why we are changing.

“It is not because of the pressure of you guys [media], or the fans.

“When you [media] talk about changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I’m changing because of you and I think that is the end for the manager.

“When we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to change.

“We are going to become a better team because when all the players return, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time.”

Fernandes pushing for early Man Utd return

Part of Amorim’s reasoning behind his change in tactics stems from currently having a depleted squad to work with, with up to seven senior players already ruled out of the home game against winless Wolves on Tuesday night.

That number could even increase if Mason Mount fails to recover from the injury that forced him out of the Newcastle game at half-time.

Captain Bruno Fernandes is one of those who will miss the Wolves game, even though he is pushing Amorim for an early return to action after suffering a hamstring issue against Aston Villa on December 21.

Amorim added, when speaking bout his skipper: “Bruno is already saying he needs to train. But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that.”

However, the 31-year-old is still expected to be heavily involved from the sidelines, with Amorim revealing: “The guy is a leader. He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he’s not talking and speaking. He’s always speaking. That’s why he’s the captain.

“He has bad things sometimes – the way he moves his arms – but he has a lot of good things. After he recovers after games, or even after treatment, he goes to watch the other guys training. There is a lot of things you don’t see.

“I don’t know if he wants my job or not, but he’s a leader. The guy is a leader.”

Conor Gallagher has spoken with Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone about his future, and this is set to accelerate his move away from the club in January, as sources confirm Man Utd are one of three Premier League clubs interested.

Elsewhere, Hansi Flick has reportedly told the Barcelona board to sign Marcus Rashford permanently at the end of the season, though the Manchester United loanee has also been linked with one of their LaLiga rivals.

Finally, Joshua Zirkzee is waiting to discover whether Manchester United will allow a move to Roma to open up before players return from duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, while the Red Devils are assessing whether they first need to sign a replacement, sources can reveal.