Jamie Carragher has predicted how Manchester United will line-up under Ruben Amorim in his favoured 3-4-3 formation.
Amorim, who recently signed an initial two-and-a-half-year deal at Old Trafford, will take charge of his first game on Sunday, November 24, when the Reds take on Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
One of the biggest talking points ahead of his much-anticipated arrival has been his style of play. The 39-year-old’s tactical philosophy at Sporting has been centred on a high-intensity approach; something United have lacked in recent months.
But the question remains; will his system suit the current crop of players at United? Speaking on Monday Night Football about Amorim and the challenge that awaits him, Jamie Carragher predicted the team that Amorim could select in the not-so-distant future.
To kick things off, Carragher went with first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana between the sticks before picking a back three of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, who would occupy the left side of the defensive line.
“I actually think Martinez, in this position, it might suit him – gives you that balance with the left foot,” he said. “I can’t see De Ligt or Maguire being in the wide position, they will not be able to cope, so I don’t think De Ligt or Maguire can play in the same back three because whoever is in the wide position would get really exposed.”
Carragher added: “Yoro has come in as a young player, he’s a project for the club. You’d want to work with him… [he’s] a young player, can probably deal with the pace down the sides as well, but they’ve got the numbers if there’s injuries or suspensions. We know they’ve got that.”
The former Liverpool defender then selected Manuel Ugarte in midfield alongside Kobbie Mainoo, with Noussair Mazraoui and Alejandro Garnacho occupying the attacking wing-back slots.
“I think in Ugarte and [Kobbie] Mainoo – Ugarte’s a player he knows, and also when I’ve seen Sporting Lisbon play, these two players don’t just sit and don’t move here. In terms of pressing, at times they will push right up and be really aggressive on the opposition,” Carragher continued.
Sky presenter David Jones soon intervened and asked whether energy was important.
“Yes,” Carragher said. “100 percent it will be about energy there. Don’t forget, the centre of the pitch, how often do we see teams not just with three players in there but four players in there.
“People talk about playing the box in there – that will be really interesting, how they cope with that defensively, and that’s why I say [Amorim’s] out-of-possession set-up will be fascinating when he hasn’t got the best players in the league or the best team in the league, because that will cause a problem.”
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As mentioned above, Carragher suggested a new role for Alejandro Garnacho, who has been one of United’s standout performers in attacking areas of late.
“I’ve almost put one attacking full-back on one side and Garnacho on the other, because when you look at his set-up at Sporting there’s been times where these players are asked to be really high, and wingers, and they’re going to have to be very good at one-v-one,” he said.
“And again, that’s talking about Man United dominating with the ball, maybe being at Old Trafford, but when you look at the fixture list, they’ve got Arsenal away – maybe after four or five games. That will be an interesting decision.”
Carragher added: “If you’ve got Garnacho and he starts well, maybe in the left wing-back role, but you’re playing against Saka, and Arsenal are dominating, and they’re at home and they’re on the front foot and Garnacho’s being asked to play as a left full-back.”
Finally, the Sky pundit opted for a front three of Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford.
Image credit: Sky Sports
Thoughts on the above team? Would you make any changes? Let us know in the comments.