Ruben Amorim committed "football suicide" with Man Utd boss facing two changes

Danny Murphy has accused Ruben Amorim of committing "football suicide" with his line-up as Manchester United were humbled by Newcastle.

The Magpies secured a 2-0 win at Old Trafford but were utterly dominant in the opening 30 minutes and should've been furthered ahead. Newcastle's midfield destroyed the United pair of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen - with their selections raising a lot of eyebrows.

Amorim appeared to acknowledge his error as he made a sub before the 40-minute mark, bringing on Kobbie Mainoo to add more energy in the middle of the pitch.

It was another reverse for the new United boss, who has defiantly claimed he will stick by the 3-4-3 system he's introduced, but Murphy insists he has to change the formation or the players otherwise the Red Devils will continue to get beaten.

He wrote in the Daily Mail : "I was at Old Trafford and could see the problem within a few minutes. By the time the Manchester United boss reacted, his team were 2-0 down and it was game over. It was football suicide and unless Amorim changes either his system or the personnel, performances and results aren’t going to change – particularly worrying as United are down in 14th.

"We know Amorim’s 3-4-3 worked extremely well for him at Sporting Lisbon but the Premier League is a ruthless place. Only one team has won the title here playing that way and Antonio Conte’s Chelsea were blessed in having outstanding holding midfielders Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante – who did the running of two players – and Eden Hazard, who made sure opponents were often more worried about him than going on the front foot themselves. United have none of those assets."

Amorim has a lack of funds available to him throughout January and may have to make do with the players he currently has at his disposal. He has few players suited to playing the wing-back position whilst several of his midfielders are 30 or over.

Murphy confessed: "I’ve been impressed by Amorim since he arrived at Old Trafford but this was a first significant black mark. He must have known Newcastle are flying at the moment and his most energetic midfielder Manuel Ugarte was suspended. But the outcome still took him by surprise."

Amorim insisted post-match that he is loyal to his philosophy and he was hired off the back of his success playing with a 3-4-3. He suggested he would rather the Manchester hierarchy moved him on than change the way he sets up his team.

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Click here to read article