In four games in charge of Manchester United, Michael Carrick has:
Beaten Unai Emery’s Villarreal
Drawn at Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea
Beaten Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal
And now, on his return, pulverised Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
#MUFC
Ruben Amorim’s supporters argue that it is not the system that's at fault, it’s individual players not doing their jobs or simply making mistakes. But the system clearly doesn’t help them. Forcing centre-backs like Harry Maguire to play a high-line exposes his lack of pace. Not his fault, it's Amorim's. Luke Shaw is not a left-sided centre-back. Bruno Fernandes is not a central midfielder. Most players don’t look comfortable with 3-4-2-1.
The defence looks exposed, not enough pace, too many gaps and no cover of any substance. Amorim’s stubbornly sticking to his system when 4-2-3-1 would work. The best managers adapt, work to their players' strengths. United’s defence would look more secure as a back-four of Mazraoui, De Ligt, Yoro, Shaw, shielded by two from Mainoo/Ugarte/Casemiro, Bruno restored to his preferred 10, flanked by Mbeumo and Cunha serving Sesko. But Amorim is too stubborn to change.
Amorim also has to take culpability for vulnerability at set-pieces and failure to know how to respond and regroup when the opposition turn the ball over. Where is the coaching? They’ve upgraded everything at Carrington except, it seems, the coaching. Amorim was outwitted by Keith Andrews, who was managing only his 8th game. Andrews just saw the centre-backs’ vulnerability and unleashed pace. Amorim’s tactics are clearly at fault.
Amorim says his players needed “more personality to control games”. But his system inhibits them. His questioning and demeanour can hardly inspire them. He's clearly a good man and at Sporting showed he was a decent coach. But this stubbornness may cost him his job.
That said, it's all very well this increasing clamour for change but who? Who could United bring in? Most elite head coaches are all embedded at teams with better squads at better-run clubs. United are still United, still huge, still big payers, and should still attract a decent coach. But who? #MUFC
The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her.
When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried and said they also beat him.
The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt - in keeping with child custody law and regulation requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree possible.
Ruben Amorim is extremely out of his depth, the experiment is over — too many red flags for me. How do you progress with a manager who refuses to change/adapt? The answer is you don’t. Pull the plug now, there’s nothing left.