Faith was one of Rubén Amorim’s words in his first press conference with Manchester United. Physical fitness was a recurring theme in subsequent interviews with the new coach. Amorim has asked fans and media not to get too caught up in his 3-4-3 formation and to focus on the new “idea” he wants to bring to his team. The first goals against Ipswich Town and Bodo/Glimt made it all clear. For things to work well with Amorim, United’s players must be ready to run. And run and run. And then run some more.
It took Alejandro Garnacho just over 40 seconds to open the scoring at Old Trafford on Thursday after Rasmus Hojlund Glimt evaded goalkeeper Nikita Heikin. Visiting coach Kjetil Knutsen has made five changes to Norway’s starting lineup ahead of Sunday’s title decider against Lillestrom. Although United dominated possession, there were crucial moments when they took their foot off the accelerator.
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, and Amorim’s job now and until the end of the season will be to ensure that his team makes the welding it needs to keep its nose in front from the first minute of play until the 90 minutes. . Glimt’s first-half goals came from his ability to play on the counterattack. A clever one-two by Sondre Fet and Hakon Eugen earned the latter an equalizer in the 19th minute. Philip Zinkernagel fired a shot past Tyrell Malacia on the wing to give Norway the lead after 4 minutes.
“They knew each other very well,” Amorim said after the game. “If you see the goals, it was a touch. They have time when we don’t work together. They have a lot of speed and power. You can see that they have a lot of energy in the transitions and it was a tough game in that aspect.
“But we controlled the pace of the ball very well and held it long enough to do it.
Amorim’s goal is to improve his team’s response when facing physical opponents. The squad change has been a bit surprising, but the most important thing for the new manager is United’s will to overcome adversity.
United tied with two minutes of counterpressing. First, Manuel Ugarte fired into the right half-space before his low ball was clipped. Earlier, their shoulders slumped and United were unable to attack, but here the hosts kept up the pressure. Noussair Mazraoui picked up Glimt, who scored twice before whipping in a cross for Hojlund. The striker collected the center with his left foot before finishing with his right.
Amorim has talked about working on his finesse since arriving in England, and is playing more to Hojlund’s strengths, using channels from his forwards to the Denmark international, where he can move the ball in front of defenders and find extra space. . The second half saw more changes as Amorim’s men defended in a traditional 4-4-2 to better cover Glimt’s counterattacks. However, they maintained their aggressiveness when in possession.
(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Mason Mount, a midfield chameleon who has no problem switching between multiple formations, brought the X Factor to United’s third game. A clever team move saw Mazraoui pass to the 25-year-old, who lofted the ball towards Ugarte. Hojlund once again converted the Uruguayan’s low ball into a goal. Although the team needed a lot of intervention from André Onana to maintain the lead, they did well and achieved the victory. Amorim believed his team had improved some aspects of their game after Sunday’s draw at Ipswich, but there was still some way to go.
“We have to kill the game until the end,” said the coach in the post-match press conference. We have to improve on that, but I like some of the things the team did today.
This United does not have the level of athletes of Sporting CP, but Amorim is working to highlight what it has. Expect running to be a constant topic during several interviews and press conferences in the coming weeks and months. When Amorim talks about United’s desire to improve fitness, he is referring to more than just a player’s aerobic capacity. Look for a willingness to work hard to recover the ball when it is lost, but also work smart when it is successfully recovered. It’s about understanding where he needs to fit in relation to his teammates, both defensively and offensively. and how to quickly switch from one mode to another.
The success of your 3-4-3 will depend on the player’s ability to be aggressive in defense and bold in attack as a team. Positive results are needed, but this team could remain a work in progress until the start of next season as everyone adapts to the new tactical demands. It is encouraging that the 39-year-old coach talks about his players. There is a clear intention to improve their weaknesses as well as maximize their strengths. Hojlund’s double helped his team reach 12th place in the league stage of this European competition, but his coach already has ideas on how he can increase his goal tally.
“I think the connection improved (to tie the game),” forward Amorim said. “I think he needs to improve more because sometimes he gives too many touches when he has the ball.”
“But it’s important for us because when we’re on the low block, he’s a guy who handles the ball and connects passes, and he’s done it very well. He has that quality, he was aggressive in scoring, he was aggressive in the area and he is a quality player.
This is a team with varied physical and technical qualities, so Amorim’s interim solution is to establish a consistent program level across the team. Time will tell if this is a honeymoon period before the players return to action, but there are promising signs for a group that has lacked confidence and cohesion for most of the season.
