The current form suggests this conversation has been swept away more quickly than it should. United still have significant issues that can be exploited in the coming weeks.
The biggest remains in midfield.
Amorim’s insistence on two central midfielders means there’s a sure-fire way to outnumber them in the middle. Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are hard-working, but they are prone to leaving gaps, with the former sitting and the latter tearing around to win the ball.
United’s full-back balance isn’t quite right, either. Amad is doing a good job on the right, offering the kind of busyness that makes this formation work. He has performed well in one-on-one battles against Cody Gakpo and Yankuba Minteh in the last two matches, but he is still learning to defend consistently. He’s an incisive asset when pushing the opposition back into their box, though, which makes the trade-off worth it.
The same can’t be said for Diogo Dalot on the left side. It’s been a long time since the Portuguese full-back put together a run of decent form. Although quick and capable of a decent cross, he switches off at both ends of the pitch, and the drop in quality when compared to Amad is noticeable.
