Manchester United results have picked up under interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, but there are still a handful of dilemmas for Ruben Amorim to pick his way through when he officially starts work today (Monday).
A change of system, nailing down a pecking order, and finding his own Viktor Gyokeres will be high on Amorim’s priority list. Luckily, the Portuguese has the international break to get his ducks in a row before leading his new team out at Portman Road later this month.
Here, Express Sport takes you through three unsolved issues facing Amorim on the day he lands at Old Trafford…
New Bruno Fernandes role
United’s perennial No 10 will be forced into a new position if Amorim implements his favoured 3-4-3 formation. As the club captain, and the player with four goals in as many games since Erik ten Hag’s sacking, Fernandes will surely retain a spot in the starting line-up.
Whether that is in a more conventional central-midfield role or as a winger is something Amorim must experiment with. Getting a tune out of former Sporting star Fernandes, who has arguably been United’s most reliable performer since he signed in 2020, could be crucial to Amorim finding success early in his reign.
Right-wing battle
With Marcus Rashford expected to continue on the left, Amorim faces a tough choice between two capable options on the opposite flank. Alejandro Garnacho is the latest golden boy to emerge from United’s academy, and he is showing signs of becoming a long-term star.
Complicating matters for Amorim is the fact that Amad Diallo is on exactly the same path. Having finally been given first-team opportunities over the past 12 months, the Ivorian has made a convincing case to be given even more responsibility. And out of the two, it was Amad who finished Van Nistelrooy’s temporary stint the stronger, with a brace against PAOK on Thursday and another bright showing against Leicester City on Sunday.
Misfiring forwards
Amorim might get a shock to the system when he ditches a squad which includes goal machine Viktor Gyokeres and joins one full of floundering forwards. Neither Joshua Zirkzee nor Rasmus Hojlund have convinced fans that they can be United’s version of Erling Haaland at Manchester City, Alexander Isak at Newcastle, or indeed Gyokeres at Sporting.
That could change under new management. Either Zirkzee or Hojlund hitting their stride would go a long way towards helping Amorim settle in, but he will need to ignite a fire under the pair of them.
