Ruben Amorim has admitted that bowing to media pressure over his Manchester United team selection would have meant “the end” for him as manager, even as his tactical tinkering finally delivered a precious win against Newcastle.
The Portuguese boss, under intense scrutiny after just two wins in eight games, abandoned his cherished three at the back system for the first time at St James’ Park. He switched to a back four with a double pivot in midfield, a setup that effectively became a back six as United desperately clung on for a 1-0 victory and only their second clean sheet of the season.
By his own defiant history, not even the Pope could force a system change, but Amorim insists this shift was always part of the masterplan. However, he revealed a core fear: that changing shape during a poor run would signal weakness to his own players. “I cannot change because the players will understand I’m changing because of you [the media] and I think that is the end for the manager,” he stated bluntly. “When we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to change.”
Whether United have been “playing well” is up for debate, but the squad’s threadbare state is not. Amorim is navigating a deepening injury crisis, with seven senior players already ruled out of Saturday’s clash with Wolves. That number could rise if Mason Mount fails to recover from the knock that saw him subbed at half time against Newcastle.
The absentee list includes his captain and talisman, Bruno Fernandes. The midfielder is chomping at the bit to return from a hamstring injury suffered just before Christmas, but Amorim was adamant: “Bruno is already saying he needs to train. But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that.”
Fernandes’ influence, however, extends beyond the pitch. Amorim noted how the skipper monitored warm ups from the tunnel mouth and remains a constant voice. “The guy is a leader,” Amorim said, with a mix of admiration and exasperation. “He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he’s not talking… I don’t know if he wants my job or not, but he’s a leader.”
Looking ahead, the fog around returns for Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, and key defenders like Matthijs de Ligt is thick. The short term hope lies with players returning from the Africa Cup of Nations by month’s end, like Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo.
For Amorim, the victory at Newcastle has bought oxygen, but the broader picture remains one of confusion and concern. His stubborn philosophical stance is clear, yet the practical needs of a crippled squad are forcing his hand. The coming weeks, with the fanbase restless and the table still tight, will test whether his planned tactical flexibility is a stroke of genius or a manager simply firefighting. The fear is that if results dip again, any formation change will be seen not as evolution, but as surrender.