Gary Neville feels Reuben Amorim has given him a blueprint moving forward after a noticeable change in style this week, but Roy Keane remains unimpressed with “one of the worst teams in the league” without the ball.
For the first time in his tenure, Amorim has clearly moved away from the rigid 3-4-2-1 formation he has adhered to throughout his time at Old Trafford and throughout his managerial career, showing a level of flexibility that had previously been a source of debate among Manchester United supporters.
United, who introduced a hybrid back four in Monday’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth, produced a further improved performance and deserved more than they got for the second successive game, despite losing 2-1 to in-form Aston Villa at Villa Park.
“I think it was a really good performance, but it cost us the details of the two goals,” Neville said on the Gary Neville Podcast.
“It will continue to happen while they don’t have players like Harry Maguire or Matthijs de Ligt and they don’t have players who can make them stronger.
“There are a few things that I have seen in the last two games. One is that the manager has changed. Obviously the system that the manager said he would never change – five or three[at the back]two in midfield, two in the wing-backs and three up front – has been thrown out the window in the last two games, which is a good thing.”
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Free to watch: Highlights of Aston Villa’s Premier League match against Manchester United
“I’m glad the manager is adapting to what’s going on on the field because of what’s going on in AFCON, but I think there are elements that prevented him from continuing, as we saw at home against West Ham and against Everton.
“If that increases, it will put the manager in a lot of trouble. A lot of what we saw between Bournemouth and Villa will find a job for the manager and allow him to build on something, because we can build on what we have seen here.”
“Manchester United still have a chance to finish in the top five and they have missed that chance three or four times in the last three weeks, but if we can get the players back from AFCON and keep them healthy then we can do something.
“Ruben Amorim has to approach it the same way he has for the last five or six days. The system has been fine-tuned – more than fine-tuned – and with (Mason) Mount, (Mateus) Cunha, (Bruno) Fernandes, (Béjamín) Cesco, (Brian) Mbeumo and Amad (Diallo) on the pitch, maybe four or five, if not all, will cause a lot of problems. “The team has a lot of problems. ”
Keane: ‘Man United still have the worst possession deficit in the league’
Keane was similarly impressed by Manchester City’s attacking prowess, and felt that while Amorim’s side are the only team ahead of them this season, that was no excuse for their recent defeat, their fifth in 17 league games, when Morgan Rodgers’ two superb strikes easily destroyed them.
Yoro Rennie was criticized for lacking the intensity to contain Rodgers when he first received the ball and cut inside to score a stunning opener, but Keane was similarly frustrated by his attempt to thwart Diogo Dalot’s cross for the second goal.
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Aston Villa forward Morgan Rodgers cuts inside to score his second goal against Manchester United.
“You’ve got all the talent in the world, but you’ve got to roll up your sleeves and when the game gets a little tough, you say you’re going to do your part for the team,” he said on Super Sunday. “This isn’t a tricky winger, he’s just a little bit shimmy. He’s like, oh, cross it! This ends up being the winning goal.”
“It’s not like somebody’s going to do a great trick or run at him with real pace. He’s going to drop low and put his body in position. I would say if you’re going to put in a cross, you’ve got to do it amazingly well.”
“Too many players are not working hard enough. It’s not just Dalot. Man United have conceded six goals in the last two games. Any chance? Newcastle are coming in a few days. They will come to Old Trafford and enjoy themselves. There will be runners too.”
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Rodgers scores a screamer against Man United after being given space by a defender
“These are the ugly parts of football. We know you have other parts, but you have to do the ugly parts. That’s what all the top teams do.”
“But you can go deep and you can play ugly and still win. We just have to find a way to do that.
“They’re one of the worst teams in the league when they don’t have the ball. They’re good when they have the ball, but if you want to be a top soccer player, what you do when you don’t have the ball is important.”
“Man United cut corners and took too many risks, so I’m glad they’re punished. I like to see teams punished for taking chances and letting their teammates and fans down.”
