Is there a harder team to predict in world football than Manchester United?
This season, they have beaten Chelsea and Liverpool in the league, yet lost to Grimsby. They have scored nine goals across their last three games, but were unable to beat either West Ham or Bournemouth.
Going forward, Ruben Amorim appears to have found a way to get the goals flowing, but defensively United still look shaky at the back.
Much has been made of Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system, often criticised as being ill-suited to the players at his disposal. Throughout the season, the Portuguese coach has stuck rigidly to the shape despite the scrutiny. Against Bournemouth, however, United moved away from a back three for the first time this campaign. Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot operated as conventional full-backs, while Amad Diallo was pushed higher up the pitch.
In possession, the structure resembled a 4-1-3-2, with Casemiro sitting behind a midfield three of Amad, Fernandes and Mount, and Cunha partnering Mbeumo up front. Out of possession, Fernandes dropped alongside Casemiro, forming a more familiar 4-4-2.
Amorim has pointed to the Africa Cup of Nations as a key reason behind this more pragmatic approach, with United set to lose Mbeumo, Amad and Mazraoui to the tournament. While the latter is not a regular starter, both Mbeumo and Amad have been integral so far this season. Their absence will be keenly felt, both in terms of output and the tactical flexibility they provide.
Amorim’s willingness to finally adapt his system will come as a relief to many United supporters, a significant portion of whom remain unconvinced by the 3-4-2-1. That said, all of his previous success has come using that formation, so how effectively he can transition remains an open question.
This tactical shift, combined with key departures for AFCON, could make the coming weeks challenging for United. They travel to in-form Aston Villa on Sunday before hosting an out-of-sorts Newcastle on Boxing Day.
As has been the case all season, with Manchester United, anything feels possible.
