Man Utd only made one ‘Amorim signing’ much to Carrick’s delight – (Opinion) | OneFootball

New interim Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick will find a squad capable of easily adapting to his favourite formation, as the Ruben Amorim overhaul never occurred.

When the Portuguese tactician was appointed in October 2024, he inherited a team that was tailor-made for his predecessor, Erik Ten Hag, who, like a large section of modern-day tacticians, championed a 4-2-3-1 formation.

While Amorim was well aware of the daunting challenges facing him and his technical staff, he stubbornly insisted on trying to implement his 3-4-2-1 formation. The 40-year-old’s beloved system proved to be his bane, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Jason Wilcox urged him to drop it during his stormy final days at the club, especially after witnessing the fruits of a temporary 4-2-3-1 switch during the win over Newcastle.

Sturdy as ever, Amorim chose to die by the sword rather than give in to the demands of those above.

Man Utd never gave Amorim the revolution he wanted

Amorim’s departure was followed by a forgettable two-match spell for Darren Fletcher, who has since resumed his duties with Man Utd 18, and rightly so, making way for a more experienced interim coach in the shape of his former teammate, Carrick.

United officially appointed the 44-year-old as caretaker until the end of the season after ticking all the right boxes during his interview. He also received the blessing of his old boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, which some believe made all the difference in a tight race that pitted the former midfielder against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Regardless of the circumstances, Carrick arrived at Carrington on Wednesday morning, and he’ll find a squad mentally and tactically craving for a change.

Unlike Amorim, who found himself coaching a team that is more or less inapt to his tactical ideas, Carrick won’t face a similar issue, and that is mostly thanks to the lack of change that the squad underwent during the Portuguese’s 14-month reign in terms of player characteristics.

Last summer, Man Utd recruited four players, but none of them can be genuinely defined as an ‘Amorim signing’.

(Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

The former Sporting Club boss looked delighted to welcome Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, but these two stars are top-notch Premier League-proven attackers who can be useful for any manager, regardless of the formation.

On the other hand, neither Benjamin Sesko nor Senne Lammens were Amorim’s first choice in their respective roles. The head coach wanted to extend the trend of signing EPL stars, identifying Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez as his desired profiles for the roles. However, his requests were shunned by INEOS, who deemed the Aston Villa duo too old for their project.

Therefore, one could argue that the only player who was specifically brought in based on his suitability for the 3-4-3 formation was Patrick Dorgu.

Michael Carrick will easily implement his favourite formation at Man Utd

Curiously, the Dane had occupied various roles in Lecce’s 4-3-3 system, including a left-back and a right winger, as his coaches seemed uncertain where to field him. But in reality, the truth was always somewhere in between the backline and the attacking trident, as Dorgu’s explosive runs and crossing ability render him perfect for a wing-back role, something the United scouts must have recognised.

In Carrick’s system, Dorgu is unlikely to challenge for a spot on the right wing in the presence of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo, and he’ll likely have to improve his defensive skills to vie with Luke Shaw for the left-back spot.

But aside from the former Lecce man, every other Man Utd player will have a defined role in the tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 system, even though a few could yearn for Amorim’s three-man backline, especially those who found unexpected success during the bumpy 14-month ride.