Amorim arrival could be disastrous for Fernandes, as report reveals five better suited players at Man Utd

A report has detailed how Ruben Amorim arriving as Manchester United boss could be an issue for Bruno Fernandes, due to him not fitting the system nearly as well as some of his Red Devils team-mates.

United finally saw the back of Erik ten Hag on Monday. It followed a loss to West Ham in the Premier League, in what was the latest disappointing result in a spate of them during his reign.

It leaves the Red Devils needing to pick up the pieces, given they are now 14th in the English top flight. Amorim could be the man tasked with turning things around, with reports suggesting Sporting CP feel he is on his way to Manchester, after United made their desire to land him clear.

That appointment could be the catalyst for big change at United, who regularly played a 4-2-3-1 formation under Ten Hag, as Amorim has only ever utilised a 3-4-3 formation, an attachment which stopped him joining other English clubs previously.

The Times journalist James Gheerbrant has pondered whether United captain Fernandes could be in trouble as a result of that formation.

The report states that United could suit the formation, given defenders Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez and Leny Yoro could fit into it well, and add an extra level of security, while wingers Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford ‘seem well suited’, too.

It is stated that could potentially move Fernandes into a deeper midfield role than his preferred one – believed to be alongside Manuel Ugarte who Amorim managed at Sporting – though it could also be time to ‘move on’ from a 30-year-old with ‘an awful lot of football in his legs’ in Fernandes.

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Fernandes a fan of Amorim

Mere weeks ago, the United midfielder had praise for Amorim as manager of his previous side, Sporting, and that suggests he’d be happy to play under him, whether or not the manager can make room.

“Since Mr Amorim arrived at Sporting, it has been one of the teams to play the best football,” Fernandes said.

“They have been consistent, the signings have been right and they are in a very good moment. It’s a very well prepared team.

“In relation to Amorim, he shows that he is prepared at this moment. Coaching Sporting and winning championships is not easy, Sporting went 20 years without winning championships and Amorim arrived and has already won two, this shows that the work has been done well.

“If he could manage to do the same in England, Spain or anywhere else, you will never know until you get there, but I’m sure his qualities are there for everyone to see.”

Man Utd round-up: Amorim readying big calls

If Amorim is the man to take the United job, it seems he is already preparing to make some big decisions.

One, TEAMtalk believes, is to get rid of four players – Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Casemiro and Antony – each of which sources say ‘don’t interest him’.

The Sporting boss is also being linked with the signings of some of his current players, with Marcus Edwards and Viktor Gyokeres two of the bigger names on that list.

United will find themselves in competition with a lot of other sides if they are to go for those players, Gyokeres specifically.

One player who has been on the Red Devils’ radar for some time, Alphonso Davies, is said to be a January target, in what would be a cut-price transfer given the full-back is out of contract with Bayern Munich by the end of the season.

United managers at Amorim’s age

By Samuel Bannister