It might have felt odd at the time, given Manchester United were fresh from a decisive 4-0 win against Everton, but Ruben Amorim predicting the arrival of a “storm” now appears prophetic.
Since this match on December 1, United have played seven times. During this period, they won twice and lost five, the last a 2-0 defeat away to Wolverhampton Wanderers. After presiding over 34 unbeaten Championship games (including 3 with United at the start of his tenure), life at Old Trafford gave Amorim the taste of defeat. On Saturday the 14th of the Premier League, the typhoon is really lifted.
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In the early part of Boxing Day, United looked on the verge of resolving some of the upheavals that characterized their complicated series. On a very fundamental level, they had yet to concede: a clear improvement compared to the previous 3 games, when they had conceded opening the score before half-time. In December, they controlled to counter the risk of the wolves avoiding the kicks, although repeated attempts through Matheus Cunha have advised their imaginable advance. Thirdly, United were tenacious, even if they haven’t been absolutely consistent throughout, apart from possession. Amorim’s team rarely risked the Wolves’ goal, however, they have defended themselves, gradually admitting to being accustomed to a local team and an audience that seemed enthusiastic after the appointment of Vitor Pereira.
It supported Amorim’s decision not to implement wholesale changes after the humbling 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. The Portuguese head coach had made at least four alterations to the starting line-up in every game he had taken charge of since the 1-1 draw to Ipswich Town in late November, but he had largely kept faith with a group who he has maintained need time to find a winning balance. Despite the loss to Bournemouth, it suggested that he was getting closer to settling on his first-choice XI.
However, soon this tactical and intellectual fragility raised its ugly head. Minutes after the resumption, Bruno Fernandes rightly passed a second yellow card for a late entrance to his Portuguese teammate Nelson Semedo. Losing Fernandes, Captain and Talisman of United, in reducing the load and reducing his team to 10 men was the worst imaginable restart for a coach who suffered navigating an unknown era without enough time to put into practice his ideas in the educational field. After his dismissal, the 30-year-old became the first United player to be expelled 3 times in a season in all competitions from Nemanja Vidic in 2008-2009.
“I will be frustrated by a red card, but it can happen,” Amorim said in his post-match press conference. “He tried to pass the ball. It’s not that you should avoid betting with a yellow player. he needs to pass the ball. The other player touched the ball first and there was contact. This is also complicated for him.
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The loss of Fernandes only reduced the offensive potential of the United, but also left Smedo and Gonçalo Guedes loose to attack Diogo Dalot without any protection. Minutes after Fernandes left the countryside, the Wolves broke down on the left of the United and put the Ball in André Onana’s network, but Jacob Strand Larsen’s header was canceled offside.
In the 58th minute, Wolves took the lead directly after a corner kick by Cunha. It is the second time United have conceded an ‘Olympic’ in 8 days after his son Heung-min scored from the same spot in Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-3 Carabao Cup win last Thursday. Whatever time Amorim had on the education court he battled the fragility of United’s sets, conceding twice in unusual fashion (a dominance that new Wolves manager Pereira admitted to “exploring” after the attack), it doesn’t reflect well on his talent for resolving those glaring disorders on the pitch. fly.
However, it is still unfair to judge Amorim hard, who (as he has his habit) did not carry out a team discussion after the game. After all, he was thrown into the United Ob of tension in the middle of a crisis, without having time to put his ideas into force.
“I passed, but I didn’t practice,” Amorim said. They want time to train. They absolutely replace the way they play. In reality, it is complicated for them and also for the staff to transmit all the information. When you don’t get results, it’s even harder for them on them. We will have to continue. We already knew that it was a difficult moment and that we had to concentrate on the next game.
The challenge is that things don’t get easier. Next Monday it will be Newcastle, who has won 3 games in a row with 3 or more goals. Next Sunday, Anfield awaits.
“Now we just have to save time to work on the team,” said Amorim. “We already knew. I started with these paintings with a team and a new concept without time to exercise with many complicated games. They are a long vacation as I said the first day. We have to continue and fight those bad times because it is part of football. »
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However, the support of the United Singles, who stayed there after the final whistle to applaud the players and the technician, represents confidence in their process. Despite the disorders of youth, Amorim did not deviate from the formula that gave him good luck in the Sporting CP and remains attached to the concepts for which he was hired.
A month later, it is fair to qualify his brilliant beginning as a false dawn, but his commitment to the process gives him at least a touch of genuine gentleness. Unfortunately, even Amorim knows how long it will take to pass the typhoon.
(Top photo: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)