Ruben Amorim will not change as Man Utd face relegation combat – ‘I am unable to discover one other thought’

Ruben Amorim is already looking nervously over his shoulder at the drop zone and has admitted that a relegation battle is a possibility for fallen giants Manchester United

Ruben Amorim has made it clear he’s not willing to abandon his footballing ethos at Manchester United, even though he’s acknowledged the team could face a relegation scrap.

United find themselves in 14th place as they reach the season’s midpoint after a string of five losses in six Premier League matches, and a series of poor performances under Amorim’s guidance has them nervously glancing back, with only a slim four-spot and seven-point buffer above the drop zone and a daunting fixture against Liverpool on the horizon this weekend.

The brief resurgence under Amorim has fizzled out, leaving the squad looking bewildered within his 3-4-2-1 formation, highlighted by a third consecutive match without scoring during a 2-0 loss to Newcastle. After the game, he even admitted when asked by BBC Sport if United were in a battle to avoid the drop: “I think that it is a possibility. We have to be clear with our fans.”

Amorim, who found success with a three-at-the-back system at Sporting CP, has remained loyal to this approach since arriving at Old Trafford. He’s abandoned the four-man defence favoured by predecessor Erik ten Hag, attempting to mould his players into an unfamiliar setup despite a shortage of natural fits for the roles.

The 39 year old manager is acutely conscious that United’s slump has dragged them into a relegation dogfight, yet he’s resolute about sticking to his tactical guns, insisting that his three-man defence is his sole blueprint for bringing triumph to Old Trafford, reports the Manchester Evening News.

“It’s like playing with three is more or less the same playing with four,” he argued. “We can change the characteristics with Amad on the wing, it could be a little bit different, we had some games that we press in 4-4-2, so I don’t see it that way. Of course, I didn’t choose the players specifically for that position, that I already knew.

“But I have to sell my idea, if I change all the time it will be even worse. But I understand they have a lot of difficulties because they spend two years playing one way and now playing another, with a lot of losses, is really tough on them and you can feel it during the games.

“Even when we try to score, was more from them than the organisation. You have to feel it. I have to sell my idea, I cannot find another one.”

Amorim has declared he needs to notch up some wins to convince his players to buy into his system, yet despite an initially promising start, there are now whispers that his tenure could be coming apart at the seams. Despite these murmurs, Amorim remains unshaken in his convictions and is doubling down on his strategies.

“If I change the system completely I don’t know if I’m here to win,” he contended. “You know? If I do that and continue to lose, it’s worse. You don’t know, I don’t know.

“I see the game in a different way, it doesn’t matter if you are three, four or five, if you know the basics, if you can train that idea, I see the game in this way, so I understand what you are saying but if I know for sure changing everything is going to get us near to win games I will do it.”

Furthermore, Amorim dismissed the idea that perhaps waiting until the summer to roll out his plans might have been wiser. He highlighted that the team, designed to fit a 4-2-3-1 formation under Ten Hag, had floundered even within that familiar framework.

“When you have a change of coach, especially in this type of club, it’s because they are not winning and they played specifically in that system they were bought for and chose perfectly for that system,” he said. “In that moment, with the idea, with two years working in pre-season, they were losing, so are we going to change to that system that I don’t believe in to change to win games? It doesn’t make sense.

“So I can understand your ideas. For me, it’s more simple than that. If I think the players for right profile for each position it will be different but I have to start now in this moment because this team was already in problems. I have to teach what I know, that is my focus and I believe on that.”