Bryan Robson urges Ruben Amorim to abandon back three amid Man Utd struggles

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has been urged to perform a tactical U-turn and ditch his 3-4-3 system following the club’s poor start to the Premier League season.

United’s 3-1 defeat in last weekend’s Manchester derby condemned the Red Devils to their worst league start since the 1992/93 campaign. Amorim’s side have picked up just one win from their opening four matches and currently sit 14th in the table with four points from a possible 12.

Reports suggest the Portuguese tactician has three games to save his job, but much of the criticism has focused on his refusal to adapt from his preferred back-three formation — even when United were overrun in midfield by Manchester City.

Amorim insisted after the defeat that the club would have to sack him before he abandoned his footballing philosophy. However, Manchester United ambassador and club legend Bryan Robson believes the 39 year-old must show more flexibility.

Speaking to OLBG, Robson said:

“I feel as a manager you have to have a few tactics up your sleeve. Otherwise people know how to set up against you. If you’re playing the same way week in, week out, the opposition, with all the technology nowadays, can work you out and set themselves up to do well.”

Robson suggested United could benefit from moving to a back four, which he described as the foundation for most top Premier League teams.

“Some people think about the old-fashioned 4-4-2, but I quite like 4-3-3 when you’ve got good forwards. I think United are still capable of doing that. If you’re chasing the game, with five at the back, you’re always short of a midfielder or a forward.”

While acknowledging that a back five can work well if United score first and counter-attack, Robson warned that Amorim risks making his team too predictable.

“I would like to see him be a bit more flexible. But he looks set on the back five, so it’s up to him and the players to make that system work. It is still early in the season, and we have played against two very good teams who will challenge for the title, so it has been a difficult start.”