Disclaimer: I've watched a total of one full match played by Amorim's Sporting (the satisfying tie in which they knocked Arsenal out of Europe) and I'm not the best at analysing tactics. This post is summarising views published in two articles - one from the BBC, one by the great Carl Anka on the Athletic (which also gives some nice detail on how Amorim's system works and has evolved as personnel changes). Also a shout-out to Rosso's posts on this site, which pre-echoed some of this.
Back three
When the opposition has settled possession, Amorim effectively has a back five, but it can be three + a defensive midfielder defending against counter attacks, which means individual centre backs have quite a lot of space to defend. Yoro's pace will be ideal for this. Martinez's lack of pace is a bit of a concern, but he's likely to be ever-present due to his quality on the ball. Both writers mention De Ligt's discomfort playing in a back three at Juve and briefly at Bayern, and the fact that Maguire, on the contrary, has good experience and seems to thrive in that system.
Wing backs
Everyone has remarked that we lack natural wing backs in the squad. Will we make do with Dalot and Mazraoui until the opportunity to recruit comes along? Both writers also speculate that Amorim might convert an attacking player to such a role - Anka suggests Garnacho or Antony might be attempted; Alex Keble on the BBC punts on Amad (which seems a bit of a stretch to me). Harry Amass might get opportunities sooner than expected, given Amorim's willingness to fast-track youngsters.
Midfield
Amorim likes his midfielders to run A LOT. Obviously, Ugarte already fit successfully into an Amorim side. Casemiro's defensive acumen will probably give him minutes. Eriksen will be sent to the glue factory. Both writers see Mainoo as likely playing in the pivot alongside Ugarte; Keble sees Mount as a likely option there as well, while Anka regards Mount as more suited to occupying one of the attacking spaces behind the centre forward, though facing a lot of competition for that role.
Attack
Both agree that Hojlund has the attributes to be moulded into the right kind of centre forward for Amorim's system. But there's a lot of uncertainty about the combinations of players he might deploy behind Hojlund. Keble notes that Amorim likes narrow wingers who are 'direct runners capable of pressing hard and weaving their way through the lines in the transition' and sees Bruno as a poor fit, while Garnacho could be perfect and Rashford might benefit. Anka is more circumspect: suggesting Bruno could be paired with a direct goal scoring player like Rashford or an auxiliary creator like Amad, but you could also see Garnacho and Amad, or Garnacho and Mount. I think it's clear that with the plethora of players competing for three places in the team, and few of them looking like identikit equivalents of the Sporting front three, this is the part of the team with the most potential variables, and perhaps the part of Amorim's game plan most likely to feature creative adaptations from what he did at Sporting.
Finally, Carl Anka notes that we should get more value from Onana's short passing ability with the emphasis on creating patterns and movements that enable build-up from deep.
Links:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5875921/2024/11/01/amorim-manchester-united-line-up/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/crez8vyr7yjo
Which current players suit Amorim's system?
posted 13 hours, 11 minutes ago
comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 13 minutes ago
He’s been on fire in the academy.
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Already has a strong reputation for terrorising the opposition with explosive attacks.
posted 13 hours, 11 minutes ago
comment by Pun (U21588)
posted 43 minutes ago
comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 9 minutes ago
Hopefully we sign someone that is capable of playing left back and wing back so that when he is sacked we can still use them in a back four.
I hope we’re interested in Robinson from Fulham. If Shaw isn’t completely dead it would also give us an opportunity to blood Hamas into the first team squad.
Essentially we’d have Martinez and Shaw for lcb, Martinez, Shaw, Hamas and Robinson for left back and Robinson, Shaw and Hamas for left wing back.
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Hamas
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He'z a bollah
posted 13 hours, 9 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 JA606 Class Act (U2462)
posted 9 seconds ago
comment by Pun (U21588)
posted 43 minutes ago
comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 9 minutes ago
Hopefully we sign someone that is capable of playing left back and wing back so that when he is sacked we can still use them in a back four.
I hope we’re interested in Robinson from Fulham. If Shaw isn’t completely dead it would also give us an opportunity to blood Hamas into the first team squad.
Essentially we’d have Martinez and Shaw for lcb, Martinez, Shaw, Hamas and Robinson for left back and Robinson, Shaw and Hamas for left wing back.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamas
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He'z a bollah
----------------------------------------------------------------------
His partner is usually watching from the side.
His bae rooting for him.
posted 13 hours, 4 minutes ago
comment by It’s time for some Lancashire hotPote, Ruben (U17054)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 13 minutes ago
He’s been on fire in the academy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Already has a strong reputation for terrorising the opposition with explosive attacks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m talking about Harry Amass not Israel.
posted 13 hours ago
comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by It’s time for some Lancashire hotPote, Ruben (U17054)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 13 minutes ago
He’s been on fire in the academy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Already has a strong reputation for terrorising the opposition with explosive attacks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m talking about Harry Amass not Israel.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope Amorim explains carefully what he means when he tells Harry that he’s parachuting him straight into the first team.
posted 12 hours, 29 minutes ago
comment by Barf Vader (U15867)
posted 38 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 JA606 Class Act (U2462)
posted 9 seconds ago
comment by Pun (U21588)
posted 43 minutes ago
comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 9 minutes ago
Hopefully we sign someone that is capable of playing left back and wing back so that when he is sacked we can still use them in a back four.
I hope we’re interested in Robinson from Fulham. If Shaw isn’t completely dead it would also give us an opportunity to blood Hamas into the first team squad.
Essentially we’d have Martinez and Shaw for lcb, Martinez, Shaw, Hamas and Robinson for left back and Robinson, Shaw and Hamas for left wing back.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamas
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He'z a bollah
----------------------------------------------------------------------
His partner is usually watching from the side.
His bae rooting for him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Syriasly?
posted 11 hours, 2 minutes ago
No point even mentioning Mount.
posted 9 hours, 45 minutes ago
I won’t get excited until we’re challenging for proper titles and beating teams convincingly week in week out.
We’ve been here far too many times before.
posted 9 hours, 44 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 JA606 Class Act (U2462)
posted 2 hours, 45 minutes ago
comment by Barf Vader (U15867)
posted 38 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 JA606 Class Act (U2462)
posted 9 seconds ago
comment by Pun (U21588)
posted 43 minutes ago
comment by Ruben The King Amorim Tim Tagi Dim (U10026)
posted 9 minutes ago
Hopefully we sign someone that is capable of playing left back and wing back so that when he is sacked we can still use them in a back four.
I hope we’re interested in Robinson from Fulham. If Shaw isn’t completely dead it would also give us an opportunity to blood Hamas into the first team squad.
Essentially we’d have Martinez and Shaw for lcb, Martinez, Shaw, Hamas and Robinson for left back and Robinson, Shaw and Hamas for left wing back.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamas
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He'z a bollah
----------------------------------------------------------------------
His partner is usually watching from the side.
His bae rooting for him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Syriasly?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
posted 7 hours, 57 minutes ago
Fabulous analysis of Almorim's formation and tactics
https://youtu.be/Bp6HPpLz6eU?si=9MYIc1Ak28aniA-v