‘I Like It’ – Rio Ferdinand Backs New Man Utd 11 vs Sunderland to Save Amorim’s Job

As proven since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure as Manchester United manager in 2013, leading the Red Devils as head coach is one of the hardest jobs in the world. The most recent manager to find this out is Ruben Amorim, who continues to be under pressure as positive results and performances evade him and his side.

Despite playing just one game a week and already out of the EFL Cup, it seems the more time Amorim has with his players, the worse things are getting. From his dogmatic approach to his questionable placement of certain players, his system has resulted in one of the worst starts for a manager in Premier League history.

As pressure continues to mount, ex-Manchester United legends are coming out to voice their worries, notably Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand. The latter has taken to his YouTube show to try to conjure up a team that could result in a winning performance ahead of their game against Sunderland, with his co-host, Stephen Howson, coming out with what could finally be the winning formula.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

As per Howson, he suggests Amorim should stick with the formation, but adjust the intentions and roles within that. Known for playing a 3-4-3, Ferdinand’s co-host believes tweaking that to a 3-2-2-3 would get the best out of this Manchester United squad.

The first change the Red Devils should make is in the net. Replacing Altay Bayindir with summer signing Senne Lammens. The Turkish shot-stopper surprised many when he became the number one choice in goal, and it is a decision that has proven costly. If results are to change, then Howson believes taking a chance on Lammens is the way to go.

For the back three, Leny Yoro should occupy the space on the right, Matthijs de Ligt in the middle, and Lisandro Martinez, when fit, on the left, and if not fit, he can be replaced with Ayden Heaven. If Amorim intends to persist with a high-line, Howson notes that they need pace in the defence, meaning Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw shouldn’t be starting games.

Midfielders

In midfield, the personnel shouldn’t change for Manchester United ahead of their game against the Black Cats, but the roles of each player should. Wanting Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui to keep their wing-back positions, and also Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte to remain beside each other, the positions these four take up should change, according to Howson.

He suggests that Mazraoui should invert to be beside Ugarte, meaning United can have a rest defence consisting of the back three and those two. This allows Bruno to push higher up the field, something Dorgu will do with him, as his attacking-mindedness has been a bright spark for Amorim’s side. This would take up the ‘2-2’ in Howson’s 3-2-2-3 formation, and would allow Bruno to finally get higher up the pitch, something that should be a bare minimum if Amorim wants to keep his job.

Attackers

The attack pieces itself together. Although the trifecta of summer signings, Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha, need to find their chemistry together, they could be an unstoppable force on their day. Sesko, who finally got off the mark against Brentford, proved his insistence and determination can pay off, and if he were to be helped by Bruno and Dorgu joining in the attacks, there is a higher chance he will be found in the right positions more often.

Although Howson hasn’t dramatically changed the personnel on the pitch, he has made sure to put the right players in the right places to allow for the most success, as opposed to shoehorning certain players in roles they don’t suit. It is yet to be seen if this side will take on Sunderland at the weekend, but it is something that Rio Ferdinand would love to see.

With Amorim’s job continuing to be on the line, a match against newly-promoted Sunderland could prove to be more difficult than anticipated, owing to the Wearside-based team’s impressive start to life in the Premier League. One of the league’s most in-form sides against one of the more out-of-form sides is a recipe for entertainment, and the result could entirely depend on how Amorim decides to field his team.

Credit: FotMob Lineup Builder