Michael Owen backs Ruben Amorim amid Manchester United tactical stubbornness
Michael Owen has hit out at Manchester United greats for picking on Ruben Amorims back three setup. The ex Red Devil calls it embarrassing to blame the 3-4-2-1 formation for the teams woes. He targets Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney for slamming Amorim’s “stubborn ways“.
Speaking to casino.co.uk via the Daily Mail, Owen said he understands Amorim’s concern that negative comments from pundits about his philosophy might be influencing the United squad. Here is what the former Ballon d’Or winner had to say:
“The latest one is it’s because they’re playing a back-three. If I’m not wrong, I watched Erik Ten Hag about a year ago playing a back-four, and it was some of the most awful football I’ve ever seen from a Manchester United team.”
“Some great teams over the years have played with a back-three. I’m not saying that’s my favourite formation at all, and I’m not saying that Amorim is right to be steadfast in his beliefs in that formation.”
“But I certainly don’t think all of United’s problems now are because they play with the back-three.”
The real rot goes way deeper. Since Sir Alex Ferguson left, its been non stop blame shifting. Sacking managers left and right. Throwing billions at stars who end up flopping or vanishing. Swapping recruitment teams, shuffling the board after Sir Jim Ratcliffe stepped in, fixing up the training ground, even binning the backroom lot from physios to the canteen staff.
This season has been a slog so far. After seven league games, United sit 10th with three wins, one draw and three losses. That’s 10 points and a -2 goal difference. They crashed out of the Carabao Cup early, losing on pens to Grimsby Town in Round Two.
Amorim needs to show fans a clear plan. Even if they lose, give something to cling to, like steps forward. The club is too massive and loaded not to snap out of it eventually. The most successful club in England cannot disappear into thin air like nothing. There shall come a time when United will win the league again, but there has to be that feeling of improvement. That is lost.
The coach now has a proper test coming. Forest, Spurs, Everton and Crystal Palace after the end of the international break. These could spark some fire or pile on the pain. Time to see if the plan holds up. The clock is ticking, and Old Trafford is waiting for that first roar of real hope.
But for now, something has to change, and if we go by Owen, it is not the formation.