Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim says he hopes to get the time to show how his system will evolve, but insists not even the Pope will make him change it right now for fear of what the players will think of him.
“No, no, no,” he said. “Not once [have I thought about changing]. Not even the Pope [can make me], it will not change.”
Amorim has maintained he will stick with his 3-4-2-1 formation despite having the worst win percentage of any United boss since the Second World War and overseeing their worst start in the Premier League for 33 years.
United have amassed the fewest points of any ever-present Premier League side – averaging one per game, with a -13 goal difference – since Amorim was appointed last November.
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Amorim did not speak with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe about his system during talks this week, but says there will be changes to it should he get the time.
“This is my job, my responsibility, my life, I will not change that but I will change the system, there will be an evolution but we need to make all the good steps,” said Amorim ahead of Man Utd’s fixture against Chelsea on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
However, he is concerned about what his squad would think if he changed now and hopes he will be in charge long enough for it to happen.
“If I’m a player and I have a coach with a lot of pressure to change the system and I’m going to change in this moment, they will look at me in a different way,” he said.
“When you think about the impact of any decision on the team, everything is important.
“This will have an evolution. I’m doing things my way. Some guys do it in a different way. It will change, I hope to have the time to change.”
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Nick Wright breaks down Amorim’s system at Manchester United and how it differs to previous Premier League formations
One of the issues with Amorim’s system has been in midfield where Bruno Fernandes has played in a deeper role. Amorim believes he is still having an impact higher up the pitch and is integral in making them dominate games.
“Bruno wants all the freedom in the world but even when he played a No 10 role, it’s getting the ball back,” he said. “Maybe he’s not having the same freedom to get inside the box but he’s getting there and is near the box and can have shots.
“I want Bruno to be more deep to have more possession to try and control more of the game. We are doing that. Sometimes we miss Bruno a little bit in front, maybe because (Matheus) Cunha is not there. I’m trying to balance the team and imagine the game.
“I see Bruno [doing] well. He’s frustrated because he’s not winning games. Sometimes he likes to go further but he has a job to do. The important thing is not Bruno playing well, it’s the team playing well and winning football games.”
Amorim believes the data is showing improvement although believes they lack belief compared to Liverpool, who have been winning games late on.
He said: “It’s belief, confidence, aggression. It’s everything. Sometimes what we call luck. It’s the way we play the game with more belief.
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Amorim jokes about Sit Jim Ratcliffe’s visit to Man Utd’s training ground
“Liverpool are winning all the games in the 90th minute, it’s something about the teams that are winning to have that feeling that something is going to happen. Sometimes with us, I feel the opposite. We are playing well but something is going to go wrong.
“We need to change that but just with wins. If you look at the goals against Man City, Fulham, we scored against Burnley, we are good in the game but then we draw. All these moments I think we can do better. It’s our fault.”
Alejandro Garnacho returns to Old Trafford for the first time since his £40m move to Chelsea after being told he could leave at the end of last season and was not training with Amorim’s first-team squad during pre-season.
Asked if the transfer could backfire on Man Utd, Amorim said: “I’m not concerned about that. I just want to win games. I don’t care who is playing for the opponent, [or] what people are going to say in the end if the player plays well. They are good players and they play well if things happen. My only focus is winning the game.”
Watch Man Utd against Chelsea on Saturday, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 5.30pm
