Conservatism is killing Manchester United

Eliminated from the League Cup in the second round by Grimsby Town after a penalty shootout in the early morning of August 28, but more importantly, MU was overwhelmed by the lower-ranked opponent for most of the time.

Amorim is too rigid, causing MU to fail.

The limitations of Ruben Amorim's system are pushing the "Red Devils" into a dead end. Notably, the Portuguese captain has no intention of changing.

Amorim's fault

If defeats against big teams can be justified by differences in class, then letting Grimsby Town take a 2-0 lead was a real slap in the face to Manchester United's pride. And what made fans most angry was not just the result, but the way MU was stifled by a lower-class opponent.

Ruben Amorim, whose philosophy favours five defenders and two central midfielders, continues to show his inexplicable conservatism. That formation was questioned last season, when United sank deep into the bottom half of the rankings, but the Portuguese coach still insisted on repeating it.

The result was a narrow midfield, fragile ball control, and slow and predictable play. It was not hard to see that Grimsby had prepared very carefully for this scenario: pressing high, exploiting the space behind the wing-backs, and taking advantage of MU's clumsiness in escaping the pressing.

Fulham coach Marco Silva previously exposed the flaws in the Red Devils' style of play. After the 1-1 draw in the second round of the 2025/26 Premier League last weekend, the Portuguese coach said: "We know how they defend and we know they like to push high from a back five. And you can create a numerical superiority in midfield to neutralize their high defensive pressure."

“We knew United played with two midfielders in midfield, we tried to overwhelm them with three plus Iwobi, making it four. It was that simple,” the Fulham manager added. Everyone probably knew how to set up and operate United’s style of play, except Amorim.

The system that Amorim applied to MU is having problems.

In the League Cup match, Onana made two serious mistakes, making him the direct culprit. Dalot, Ugarte and Fredricson all played below their best. But the bigger problem is that the system does not help them cover up their shortcomings, but on the contrary, it makes them more vulnerable.

A big team needs a tactical structure to protect the players, to turn individual weaknesses into collective cohesion. At the current MU, the system is a burden. Except for the central defenders, almost no one is used in their strengths.

The question is: why didn’t Amorim try something else? A back four, with a dynamic midfield trio, would have been more balanced for United, especially with Bruno Fernandes, a player who needs a clear structure to be creative.

Sticking to your “favorite” formation is like tying your own hands. And as many fans bitterly commented: “If you let Grimsby dominate, perhaps the problem is not just the players, but the system.”

Amorim must change

Comparisons are inevitable. Look at Thomas Frank at Tottenham or Arne Slot at Liverpool: they do not hesitate to change to suit their personnel, building a style of play around the collective strengths.

Amorim, on the other hand, tries to force players to conform to a rigid framework. Modern football, where speed and flexibility reign supreme, does not tolerate extreme conservatism.

The pressure is on Amorim.

Ironically, this failure has helped Bruno Fernandes escape the role of “scapegoat”. When the whole system is crumbling, it is difficult to point the finger at an individual. But it is also the clearest evidence that the problem at MU lies deeper - in the philosophy of the coach.

Remember that last season, Amorim let MU fall to 15th place in the Premier League, ending the season with utter disappointment. Now, just a few games into the season, the team continues to be bogged down, despite the club spending a lot in the transfer market. The patience of the fans is running out, and time is running out for Amorim.

The match against Burnley in the third round of the Premier League on August 30th is therefore a “life and death” match. A hard-fought victory is not enough to appease. Fans want to see a change, a clear plan, a sign that Amorim knows how to adapt instead of continuing to make the same mistakes.

The defeat to Grimsby was not just a temporary shock. It was a warning that if United continue to be stuck in conservatism, Old Trafford will no longer be a fortress, but only a place to expose humiliating failures.

Amorim needs to change, immediately - because the "Red Devils" cannot forever be a shadow of themselves, and this pride must not be allowed to be buried at the hands of lower-ranked teams.

Source: https://znews.vn/su-bao-thu-dang-giet-chet-manchester-united-post1580643.html