LONDON: All eyes will be on Ruben Amorim’s first team as head coach of Manchester United this Sunday.
A visit to Ipswich Town awaits and the 39-year-old’s starting line-up at Portman Road is highly anticipated, especially with one change in formation expected.
At his previous club Sporting CP, Amorim often used a formation of three defenders, either a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 system.
While both are somewhat foreign to the squad he inherited, his first team selection is expected to be interesting.
If Amorim wants to expose the weaknesses of the opposition, his team will definitely need a strong player who will press Ipswich fiercely.
Aggressively closing down space is key to Amorim’s tactical approach, but Kieran McKenna’s men are already showing fragility when pressed in their own half.
Manchester City, Southampton, Aston Villa and West Ham United all scored against the newly promoted side after winning the ball back in the attack.
Forcing the Ipswich players to make mistakes when playing from the back must have been at the heart of Amorim’s game planning.
Who is good at pressing for United?
Mason Mount has struggled for game minutes under Erik ten Hag, but the midfielder has been working hard all week on the training ground with Amorim, while many of his team-mates are in action with their respective national teams.
This gives him the chance to be in action at Portman Road this Sunday.
Mount’s style of play certainly suits the new head coach, who likes his players to work hard even when not in possession.
Mount, who can operate in midfield or as one of two No 10s, exerts more pressure in the opposition area than any other player at United.
When looking at the amount of pressure applied throughout the 90 minutes by United’s players, Mount is at the top of the ladder leaving his nearest challengers far behind.
He averaged 45.6 pressures with Joshua Zirkzee second at 38.3.
Mount’s efforts, coupled with proven technical ability, will impress Amorim.
The 25-year-old will definitely want a fresh start, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he plays and shines over the next few weeks.
Which strikers will feature in Amorim’s starting line-up?
Ipswich’s midfield and defense are not among the fastest in the division and as a result they were exploited on many occasions by the pacey opposition.
Mohamed Salah sneaked in effectively as Liverpool won at Portman Road in the opening week of the league, while Erling Haaland, Jarrod Bowen, Vitaly Janelt and Jordan Ayew also contributed to exposing Ipswich’s weaknesses with quick runs that opened up the defence.
For this match, United will try to play in the three-quarters of the field, before looking for opportunities to break through the home defense with a quick attack.
United’s fastest players were Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund, with Marcus Rashford in third.
Amorim likes to attack quickly, so this trio is definitely in his consideration.
The new head coach will certainly want Bruno Fernandes (4.4 runs into the penalty area per 90 minutes) and Rashford (3.3 per 90 minutes) to enter the opposition penalty box more often than they have done so far this season.
This Sunday, look for Garnacho and Amad Diallo to offer a threat to break through the defense alongside forward Hojlund.
Given Amorim’s record of trusting and shaping young players, it would not be surprising if Garnacho and Diallo were named in his first XI.
Both have scored impressive individual goals under caretaker manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, which their new boss will surely be aware of.
Does Fernandes have a new role?
In Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 formation, Fernandes was used as a No 10, but he will definitely have to adapt to the new position.
The captain’s role is most likely as an ‘inverted wide’ striker. Ensuring both full-backs operate effectively alongside him, it may not be a big difference for him.
But you shouldn’t rule out the possibility of Amorim experimenting with Fernandes as an orthodox midfielder.