Man Utd suffered a defeat in the Manchester derby last weekend and the pressure has increased on Ruben Amorim.
09:29, 18 Sep 2025Updated 09:39, 18 Sep 2025
Bryan Robson thinks Ruben Amorim needs to be tactically flexible
Manchester United legend Bryan Robson believes Ruben Amorim needs to be tactically flexible.
Amorim oversaw the worst season at Old Trafford for 51 years following his appointment from Sporting Lisbon in November. Amorim needed to start the new campaign well, but United have made their worst start to a season for 33 years and speculation has begun about his future.
United suffered a 3-0 defeat against Manchester City last weekend, which means Amorim has the worst win percentage of any permanent United manager since the Second World War.
Amorim said: “When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man. I believe in my way and I am going to play my way until I want to change.”
Some fans believe Amorim’s system was never a good fit for the club, while others have suggested the 40-year-old change his formation to secure results and ease pressure.
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United legend Robson spoke to OLBG and shared his verdict: “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, and especially with all the technology and everything nowadays, you can go out on the training pitch and you set yourself up to do well against a team. That’s why I feel he’s got to be a bit more flexible.
“Most top teams in the Premier League now are nearly always playing with a back four and so for me, if you’re playing with four at the back instead of three, you can mix it up a little bit more as well.
“Some people think about the old fashioned 4-4-2 but then I quite like 4-3-3 when you’ve got good forwards. I think United are still capable of doing that, going with the back four.
“Whatever the manager wants to set up, if it’s with the back five, you have to get off to a good start and score the first goal and then counter attack against teams. I think it’s a good system then.
“If you’re chasing the game, I always feel that you’re lacking a midfield player or a forward so you’re short in numbers because you’ve got the five at the back.
“I would like to see him be a bit more flexible but it looks like he’s got his mind and he said it all last season that he’s got his mind set on the back five so it’s up to him and the players to show that they really can play in that system.
“They need to take on board what the manager’s trying to achieve and pick it up as the season goes on because it is still early in the season and we have played against two very good teams who are going to be up there challenging for the title. So it has been quite a difficult start.”
Robson is one of the finest midfielders to have represented United and he also shared his thoughts on Kobbie Mainoo, who is yet to start a Premier League game this season.
“Back in my days, Paul Ince was an underrated player and great to play with because Ince was quick, he could tackle, he was a really good passer of the ball and I think Ince was a very underrated player,” said Robson.
“Why he was underrated is because the United fans were not pleased that he fell out with Sir Alex and then he went to Inter and he came back and played for Liverpool, so all the Man United fans didn’t like that, a Man United player who’s done really well going to Liverpool.
“I definitely do (think Mainoo could be the next Ince). When I heard that Mainoo might be leaving the club, I was really against it. I think he’s a real talent. Last year, he had quite a few injuries and couldn’t get going but the year before that, he was outstanding and he looked as if he had great potential.
“As long as he keeps his feet on the ground and works really hard at it, he could be a really good player. I know he’s more attacking but Mainoo can do the defending if you put it on him, and that’s what he’s got to do.
“He’s got to get his overall game a little bit more established and then I think he would go really well with Bruno being the more advanced midfield player.”
Last season was stop-start for Mainoo due to a few small injuries and concerns about where he fits into Amorim’s system. Amorim played the midfielder in different positions, even using him as a false nine.
Mainoo relocated to the deeper midfield role in pre-season this summer, but Amorim raised eyebrows when he said Mainoo was competing with Bruno Fernandes for a start.
The youngster subsequently requested to leave on loan in the final days of the window, which was denied.
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