“No idea what you’re doing and I don’t think your team does either” - Pundit pinpoints 2 problems with Amorim after Manchester United derby loss

Former Venezuela forward Ale Moreno has spoken about Manchester United's issues in their 3-0 defeat against Manchester City on Sunday. He said that Ruben Amorim's midfield choice got overloaded and added that United should have targeted Abdukodir Khusanov.

The Red Devils faced City at the Etihad in the Premier League in the first Manchester Derby of the season on Sunday. The hosts secured a comfortable 3-0 win, courtesy of a goal from Phil Foden and a brace from Erling Haaland. Manchester United, meanwhile, have just one win in five games across competitions this season.

Ale Moreno analysed the game on ESPN FC and slammed Ruben Amorim, saying:

“It’s hard for me to understand how a manager gets to this level, we’re talking about Manchester United and the Premier League [level] and I’m talking specifically about Ruben Amorim. In an area of the field where Manchester City try to be dominant, which is the midfield, and we all would know that. It’s basic knowledge when you’re about to play Manchester City, they want to dominate possession in this area in the middle third."

“They put numbers around the ball because they want to dominate the possession. Manchester United, in their game plan, by structure, they have Bruno Fernandes, who doesn’t defend all that much, and Manuel Ugarte [in midfield]. You’re already down two versus four or two versus five in midfield all the time, a built in mismatch."

Moreno then said that United should have looked to allow Khusanov have possession and try to attack on his side. He added:

“The other thing I don’t understand from Manchester United and Ruben Amorim’s perspective is that if you’re game planning, you see Khusanov on the right and O’Reilly on the left, you have to go like ‘we have to get after these guys’. And defensively, why don’t you just let Khusanov have the ball? Why don’t you let him be on the ball and be like, ‘that guy cannot beat us. Give him the ball, that guy has issues’. Let him make the game for Manchester City."

“Ruben Amorim, I have no idea what you’re doing and I don’t think your team does either."

Ruben Amorim has notably won just eight of his 31 games in charge of Manchester United since his appointment in October 2024.

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Ruben Amorim asserts he won't change his style despite poor record at Manchester United

The Red Devils have won just eight Premier League games under Amorim, with four of them coming against newly-promoted sides. After the defeat against Manchester City, he was asked if he would look to change his playing style.

He answered (via manutd.com):

“It's not a record that you should have in Manchester United. There are a lot of things that you have no idea what happened during these months, but I accept that. But I'm not going to change. When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man. So, we'll talk about that every game, every game that we lose. ‘I don't believe in that, in the system’, or whatever. So, I play my way and I'm going to play my way until I want to change.”

The Red Devils are 14th in the Premier League standings after four games. They have already been eliminated from the EFL Cup, losing in the second round on penalties against League Two side Grimsby Town.

They will next face Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday, September 20.