Manchester United are set for a major formation shift when Ruben Amorim arrives with the introduction of wing-backs providing challenges for a number of players
Paul Scholes admits several Manchester United players – including Marcus Rashford – could struggle to feature in Ruben Amorim’s new system.
The Sporting Lisbon boss will take charge of his last game in Portugal this weekend before taking up his new role at Old Trafford. Amorim arrives with huge pedigree and excitement is mounting, especially after his side tore Manchester City apart in the Champions League.
Throughout his time in the dugout Amorim has played a specific 3-4-3 formation, which has bought him success. He is expected to implement that in Manchester but the uniqueness of the wing-back position has seen many question who may feature in that role.
Scholes concedes it will come down to what Amorim wants from those players. He cited the lack of defensive understanding from the likes of Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, but conversely admitted that players like Diogo Dalot may struggle from an attacking standpoint.
He told TNT Sports: “There are three or four players, especially forward players, who don’t want to do the ugly side of the game. He’s going to have to make them do that. We talk about the back three, we have six centre-halves they can choose from.
“He has got the two central midfielders in Casemiro and [Manuel] Ugarte. It’s the wingbacks that could be the problem. Does he want wingers who are going to run back? If he wants that, I’m not sure Rashford and Garnacho are right for that. Does he want two wing-backs in Dalot and Mazraoui who might be a little bit better defensively but not as good going forward?”
Chelsea, under Antonio Conte, are the only team to have major success in the Premier League employing that formation. They claimed the league title in 2017 but largely managers in England have favoured a back four of some kind.
Scholes has also suggested that Kobbie Mainoo could be set for a more advanced role under Amorim, hinting that the positional change could suit his qualities.
The ex-United star said: “He has then got his two No 10s. Fernandes is one of them and I actually think Mainoo could be one of them too. I think he’ll be better player higher up, it will suit it more.”
Scholes has also underlined the need to persevere with the three central defenders, which will be alien to a lot of players. “The old-fashioned three at the back – we tried it a few times, and I reckon we lasted about 10-12 minutes before we said ‘it’s not working,’” he recently said on The Overlap.
“We always went back to a back four, which is what we knew. We [United] are in a position now where you can’t look and think we’re a 4-4-2 team, or a 4-4-1-1 team – we’ve got to bow to whatever this new coach wants.
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