Manchester United
Premier League • England
Amorim declares ‘incredible’ Man Utd star is ‘our future’, as second player ecstatic at 3-4-3 change
Amorim lauded a 27-year-old Manchester United star for his display against Bodo/Glimt, while a second player admitted the newly-installed 3-4-3 formation “suits me well.”
Man Utd secured the first win in the Amorim era when getting their Europa League campaign back on track with a 3-2 victory over Bodo/Glimt.
Amorim began the match with his customary 3-4-3 formation, though did show tactical flexibility when reverting to a more traditional back four at times during the second half.
One player whose versatility allows him to thrive in any position is summer signing, Noussair Mazraoui.
The Moroccan has played on either flank as well as in midfield during his brief stint at Old Trafford so far. And speaking post-match, Amorim labelled Mazraoui both “incredible” and the “future” of Man Utd. That’s despite the fact he’s already 27 years of age.
“He’s an incredible player, he’s our future,” declared Amorim to TNT Sports. “He played in different positions, he looks always fresh but we have to be careful.
“There’s a lot of games but he’s here to stay. This kind of player is what we need.”
READ MORE: Ranking every player Erik ten Hag signed for Man Utd from WORST to BEST
Rasmus Hojlund loving 3-4-3 formation
Rasmus Hojlund got the nod to start at striker and looked on a mission from the first whistle.
His energetic pressing caught the Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper napping and allowed Alejandro Garnacho to sweep home the game’s first goal inside the first minute.
Man Utd were pegged back and then fell behind, though Hojlund came to the rescue, scoring a brace to secure a 3-2 victory.
Speaking after the match, Hojlund admitted the 3-4-3 formation is a familiar one given his previous stint at Atalanta. The Italian side utilised that system under Gian Piero Gasperini during Hojlund’s lone season in Bergamo.
“Obviously it’s going to take time [to adjust to his style] but we can already see some patterns,” said the Dane post-match.
“Now it’s time for us to build. For me this system reminds me of how I played in a 3-4-3 at Atalanta. It suits me well.”
Regarding Amorim’s instructions for pressing, Hojlund revealed the Man Utd manager is ordering his players to look forwards rather than worry about who is behind them.
“He told me not to think too much about the guys behind me and just work on what I can see in front of me,” added Hojlund. “We saw that with the first goal.”
Latest Man Utd news – Pogba, Hjulmand, Ten Hag
In other news, a former Man Utd striker has remarkably urged Amorim to take a chance by re-signing Paul Pogba. The French midfielder is currently a free agent.
Elsewhere, GiveMeSport reported Amorim has asked Man Utd chiefs to ‘fast-track’ the signing of Sporting midfielder Morten Hjulmand.
That comes on the back of bitter rivals Manchester City taking an interest in the Denmark international.
Finally, it’s emerged the total cost of sacking Erik ten Hag and all of his coaching staff was £10.4m.
Bringing Amorim and his own personnel to Old Trafford set the club back another £11m, bringing the total cost of change to £21.4m.