Ruben Amorim needs a pre-season and some new players.
A look at the weekend's football...
When considering the deficiencies of Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system it is worth asking the whether this collection of Manchester United players were any better in Erik ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 configuration? Or, before him, Ralf Rangnick’s 4-2-3-1, 4-2-2-2 or 4-3-3? There were few signs of progress back then.
The problem United – and Amorim – face now is they don’t possess the funds lavished on Ten Hag’s choices because of PSR (and because of 12 years of largely poor recruitment). Amorim wants a rebuilding project, recruiting those who suit 3-4-2-1 better, without the requisite budget. Even if a bright young manager, who impressed in Portugal and Europe with Sporting Lisbon, bowed to the demands of many, and went to a back-four, there is no guarantee this under-achieving squad would necessarily respond.
United fans are admirably patient with their managers but even some are beginning to voice tconcerns over Amorim. The United legend, Gary Neville, made pertinent points on Sky Sports about the very obvious gaps in United’s central midfield against Tottenham Hotspur. Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes failed to keep with Spurs runners. That was partly an issue of their mobility as much as system. A central midfield of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo would have been more responsive. Both are injured. Sekou Kone, the 19-year-old defensive midfielder, might have been better as the legs alongside Casemiro with Bruno reverting to his more natural No 10 role.
Amorim has options, admittedly hugely inexperienced ones, and could have tried some out. Harry Amass should have been used more (by Ten Hag) and Amorim after a promising pre-season. Nobody at United would blame Amorim if he turned to youth, indeed many would welcome an approach in keeping with club tradition.
It’s a balance. Will they sink or swim? He won’t know until he tries some of them. The frustration was that Amorim didn’t trust the kids. Of the eight teenagers on the bench, only Chido Obi-Martin came on, almost insultingly late. He was given only three minutes of added time when United’s attack had been misfiring all afternoon.
Any suggestion of easing Amorim out, and searching for a seventh permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, has to be resisted. It surely will be by chief executive Omar Berrada and others on the board who backed him and brought him from Sporting. They have to give him a pre-season to work properly on 3-4-2-1 with the players. They also have to give him more of the players that suit his tactics.
That under-achieving squad needs considerable pruning and strengthening. It will be expensive paying off some players, even if United can generate decent sums by selling the likes of Marcus Rashford. It will be even more expensive recruiting the ones Amorim wants. It’s a difficult juggling act when the transfer window opens. But the players have failed them. They now have to give a very good manager a proper chance. Pre-season, whatever budget they can, and then judge Amorim. Otherwise United will simply go into their decade long appoint, disappoint, rinse and repeat.
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The weekend was a good one for Spurs and for one of their former players. Nabil Bentaleb has achieved much in a career for clubs, including Spurs and Newcastle, and his country, Algeria, stretching to 322 games. Nothing could match his emotion stepping on to the field for Lille with 14 minutes remaining at Rennes’ Roazhon Stadium. Bentaleb gave Lille the lead within four minutes. It was a stunning impact made even more special in that Bentaleb was in action for the first time since a cardiac arrest last June. Bentaleb was playing with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to detect and stop irregular heart rhythms. He’d enjoyed the best medical care – and some very caring advice. “I was able to talk with Christian Eriksen, who helped me immensely,” Bentaleb said of his former Spurs team-mate who also plays with an ICD after his cardiac arrest during Euro 2020. “I was in a fog, and he guided me.” Uplifting story.
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Kai Havertz reported his hamstring operation was “successful” over the weekend, and he now begins the rehab process. The number of hamstring injuries, and severity, has become an increasingly widespread talking point in the game. In the most recent detailed medical review, the Uefa Elite Club Injury Study from 2001/02 to 2021/22, the proportion of all injuries that were hamstrings doubled from 12% to 24%. This may increase further. One theory about the proliferation of hamstrings is that now there are five subs available (since 2020) the intensity of games lasts longer.
Half the outfield players can be “fresh”. So players like Havertz regularly completing 90 minutes are exposed to more sprints towards the end of games. There has to be a cost. Between January 7 and February 5, Havertz played in every Arsenal game and his nine-match workload across three competitions read: 90 minutes; 90; 90; 90; 74; 90; 20; 89; and 90. He then injured his right hamstring blocking a shot in training in Dubai.
“Given that the pitches are also highly developed now and increasingly firm this is also creating greater ground reaction forces which are putting huge strains on the connective tissues of the players,” said an elite-club medic of many years’ standing.
This all begs the question why Havertz wasn’t taken off after scoring to make it 4-1 after 76 minutes against Manchester City - in the penultimate of those nine games - rather than waiting until 89. Or, arguably, after making it 2-0 against Dinamo Zagreb after 66 minutes and eventually leaving after 74. Other games were more in the balance. The focus may be less on the issue as Mikel Merino stepped into the breach and scored twice against Leicester City. But Havertz is still injured, hamstrings are continuing to scythe players down, and the game is the poorer.
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Speaking to the well-informed and insightful football finance expert, Stefan Borson, on talkSPORT yesterday, we debated whether new investors in a club should be allowed a grace period before PSR restrictions kicked in. Financial rules are obviously needed to maintain sporting competition in the Premier League, and to ensure clubs’ sustainability, but some tweaking of the rules for an owner’s first year might make sense (with the proviso that owners had to commit to a certain period). Clubs being taken over are often in urgent need of investment anyway. Even better if the tweaking took in greater allowance for home-grown players’ wages in their initial first-team ventures. Fans love seeing one of their own, and also England would benefit with even more of a flow from talent from academies.
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Omar Marmoush did more than score his first senior hat-trick in 14 minutes for Manchester City against Newcastle United. His all-round contribution was immense. According to Opta, the Egyptian put five crosses in and won the ball back three times. His connection with Erling Haaland seems more immediate than the Norwegian striker’s connection with Julian Alvarez, now at Atletico Madrid. Haaland selflessly created space for Marmoush, dragging Newcastle defenders away. Marmoush will doubtless do the same for Haaland. It could be a formidable double act.
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Matty Stevens’ first senior goal was a Panenka as a 16-year-old for Barnet so he’s clearly not short of confidence. He “impudently dinked the ball down the middle” reads the match report in the Barnet archives. Stevens was also an outstanding schoolboy boxer, winning four national titles before the boy called “Thunder” turned to football. A decade on, AFC Wimbledon are currently benefiting from Stevens’ finishing prowess. He leads the League Two scoring charts with 16 in 30 games, and his latest goal, the winner against Salford, keeps Johnnie Jackson’s excellent side in the hunt for an automatic promotion place. Because of what the club went through historically, and also their deserved reputation as one of the most conscientious community clubs in the country, it’s always good to see AFC Wimbledon flourishing.
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Enjoy the week, Henry.
Great to see a little Barnet mention, big National League game tomorrow night, 1st vs 2nd at The Hive, big crowd under the lights!
Quality Monday post as usual Henry. Excellent points made although I don’t share your faith in Amorim. That system won’t work. He doesn’t have the players and it doesn’t work in the Premier League. 90% of teams play with a back four and it’s one players like. He has to adapt. How Man Utd can have a front two of Hojlund and Zirkzee really is embarrassing. He won’t be able to sign all the players he wants either in summer. The style of football is so boring.
Hamstring injuries are a concern but they seem to be keeping players out longer. Players are not playing more games and minutes. In fact they played more in the past. 60-70 game seasons were very common. Pitches maybe an issue as they are harder. Intensity of sprints has probably increased to but players are just not as durable and sport science teams convince players they are not fit so they are not risked as much. Havertz injury was just bad luck. Blocking shot in training.
Marmoush does look like he will be a good signing. A good replacement for Alcaraz in he can play a couple of positions and fill in for Haaland up top. He can certainly finish.
But Nico looks a really signing to although not a direct Rodri replacement. He is different.
Hope AFC Wimbledon come up as you said.