Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is flat-out denying that his stubborn 3-4-3 formation is the root of the club’s shocking slump, telling critics that bad results are the real problem, not the tactics. You have to admit the pressure on the Portuguese coach is becoming heavy, like the steam from a pot of egusi soup left on a low boil too long.
The former Sporting CP boss has been catching fire from every angle, especially from United legends like Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney, who openly question his loyalty to the three-man defence. This system has delivered United their worst Premier League start in 33 years (Sky Sports, 2025).
But Amorim remains unmoved. He argued in a press conference that you cannot say a system doesn't work when it delivers results one weekend but fails the next. It’s the inconsistency in application, he claims, that is the actual issue.
And… he insists the way the team is conceding goals and creating chances has "nothing to do with the system," pointing to specific moments in losses against Manchester City and Brentford as examples of poor execution, not poor shape (Goal.com, 2025).
Anyway, the bottom line is clear: Amorim accepts you "cannot run away from the results," which currently see the club languishing in 14th place after six league games, having lost three of them (Flashscore, 2025).
Yet, he is standing firm, essentially daring the new ownership structure to challenge his core philosophy. He previously stated, perhaps dramatically, that if the club asks him to change his system, "not even the Pope" could stop him from leaving (Sky Sports, 2025).
The manager says the time for talking is over, and that he has to "show" the supporters he is the right man. This defiant posture, in the face of mounting criticism that his dogma is a "flawed" blueprint for the current squad (The Guardian, 2025), is all we have left.
Given the mounting pressure and his rigid stance, how long until the United board forces his hand or gives him the sack?
The YouTube video below contains an interview where Ruben Amorim discusses the struggles at Manchester United, explaining that "it's a fight everyday."
“It's a fight everyday” | Ruben Amorim opens up on Man United's struggles
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QniaRCFVuLc
Source: https://citisportsonline.com/2025/10/man-united-didnt-lose-games-because-of-the-system-ruben-amorim/