Manchester United are looking increasingly likely to appoint Ruben Amorim as Erik ten Hag's successor.
Just when the 39-year-old will begin in his post remains to be seen, with Ten Hag dismissed on Monday and the Red Devils set to take on Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. It could all be a quick turnaround at Old Trafford, but you do feel it was a change that was coming.
Amorim, however, will have to get to work quickly and reports from Portugal have suggested he prefers a 3-4-3 system. Ten Hag's side usually worked from a base of 4-2-3-1 and that could spell trouble for a few individuals at the Theatre of Dreams.
Manchester United could be about to move Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw on
Luke Shaw hasn't played for Manchester United since February 2023, despite having played for England in their Euro 2024 semi-final and final clashes in the summer. It is an interesting case of what keeps going wrong for the talented full-back, with another setback having now been mooted.
Elsewhere, Marcus Rashford has suffered indifferent form under Ten Hag's tutelage, blowing hot and cold after the renewal of his contract back in July 2023, earning him a whopping £325,000-a-week. The Red Devils haven't seen much return since and you feel he could be in real trouble.
Shaw is likely to be culled from Amorim plans given he loves his wing-backs in a 3-4-3 system to be able to bomb forward and support attacks by getting high up the pitch. Sure, he could play as a wide centre-back – but given that Lisandro Martinez is first-choice, FourFourTwo could see Shaw looking at being a bench player at most… even in the unlikely scenario of everyone being fit and available.
Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot you feel would be better suited in those roles, given both players are younger and more versatile in the way they attack and defend. Shaw's time at Manchester United could be coming to an end, just like Aaron Wan-Bissaka's did in the summer.
Elsewhere, Marcus Rashford likely isn't going to play in attack, with Rasmus Hojlund the tailor-made, bully-type No.9 Amorim has nurtured Victor Gyokeres into over the last two seasons. That is something we can get behind.
But with those two attackers deployed alongside a striker in a 3-4-3 for Sporting, we feel Amad and Alejandro Garnacho would be the best bet, given the former loves to cut in and twist and turn his defender each way. Rashford has always split opinion at Manchester United, so is it time the experiment ends?
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One thing is for certain, you would expect Manchester United to be better in midfield under Amorim, given Manuel Ugarte did so well as the destroyer in his successful Sporting team. Ten Hag often allowed opponents too much space in the middle of the park to make use of counter-attacks and run onto his defence.
The Red Devils are in Premier League action once again on Sunday, as they take on Chelsea at Old Trafford, in a game where Amorim could already be in charge. Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson will be ones to watch, with the Blues in red-hot form as of late.
