AC Milan decided to entrust Ruben Amorim with being the head coach to lead them into a new era, and it is a fascinating appointment.
First and foremost, it marks a very clean break from the immediate past, with Amorim having a completely different way of wanting to play football compared to Massimiliano Allegri. To over-simplify, one is a ‘giochista’ who wants to play well, the other is a ‘resultista’ who cares only about the end scoreline.
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Despite being the same age as Luka Modric and still in his early managerial career, Amorim has already racked up a wealth of experience. It started with his emergence as a top young coach at Sporting CP, and continued into his more difficult time with Manchester United.
A huge preseason is underway for the Portuguese coach in which he must try to assimilate his ideas and see who adapts well to it. The founding principle of his philosophy is the rather unique 3-4-2-1 system, one that he embedded to great effect in Lisbon.
We have covered Amorim’s ideas in full in the tactical analysis pieces we did on the coach (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3). However, we can now also share a more visual representation of how his Sporting side became all-conquering, the struggles in Manchester and how it can work at Milan.
Amorim mentality is one of rigidity and inflexibility, he’s a doctrinal coach who refuses to compromise on his 3-4-3 formation. His insistence on implementing it, even if the team resources aren’t suited to the system, represents a lack of flexibility but a clear identity. There’s a stark contrast between the fear of repeating the “Manchester scenario” (misery and tactical disarray) and the hope of replicating the “Sporting scenario” (rigidity and championships).
Amorim style is physically exhausting for the players, increasing the risk of muscle injuries in a demanding and congested league. If the players fail to grasp the tactics or adapt physically, the club will enter a period of defensive turmoil and outright defeats (like the Manchester experience), hastening the collapse of the entire system.
amorim proved in Manchester that his radical rigidity can become a hindrance and self destructive if he doesn’t have the right players. Replicating the Sporting style at the San Siro without modifications to suit Italian football is imminent tactical suicide.
There is no Italian style of football anymore; almost every team in the league plays on the front foot. The problem will be his squad not being able to implement his system. He will live and die by it. The 3-4-3 formation is his bedrock, but I have not noticed muscle issues in his team that much. He, of course, will not allow players to not be defensive, but he certainly adopts a low block with a high press from time to time. But this just means that the forward line is not adequate enough for him. Nkunku is injury-prone, as are Pulisic and Leao, who does not run. Ramos apparently does a lot of running; Chukwueze does run as well but is not fantastic at reading the game from a defensive perspective. The team needs an LW player and an AM and LWB. But he will be out by December imo.
Your comment shows your emotions and ignorance more than knowledge and insight. I am a United fan that watched pretty much all if not the majority of the matches with Amorim. Here’s the reality:
Amorim went into a dressing room that ran the club. They even got Mourinho fired and club-legend Ole. In not even 6 months he completely turned that around. That wasn’t really found in your scathing comment.
In less than 6 months, he turned us from a boring and defensive team that did not have anything offensively to one of the greatest attacking teams in Europe. Statistically, we were on par with Arsenal and PSG for most attacking metrics. Above City. I’m somewhat of a stats nerd so I made sure to check into this throughout the season.
You mentioned injuries. Yes, this shows you were not really paying attention and are comment about something which you have no knowledge of. Before Amorim, United were known for injury problems. In only 6 months, he and his team completely changed that.
Did I mention he did all this in only 6 months?
Amorim should have been backed. He wasn’t. He wasn’t fired for results. The results weren’t important short-term because he was hired to build something for the next few years. He was fired because he had a problem with how United’s CEO and DOF were telling the manager how to play, who to play and even what formation to play. He then went to the media about it, and was fired within the week.
Amorim gave us the most exciting and attacking football we’ve had since Ferguson. If you suffer from confirmation bias or just don’t like the 3241/3421 (which is how Pep won the Treble with City), then that seems like it’s a you problem and not an Amorim problem.
Maybe you should wait for evidence before acting this way about Amorim? Because if we are being honest, nearly all of Amorim’s career has been absolutely unbelievably successful. As in turning entire clubs around (both culture and playing style). And all of this and he’s around Modric’s age. So, technically he should be given way more leeway because he’s already proven himself.
At the end of the day, you can do what you wan’t. Just don’t be a hypocrite. Support Milan or don’t. It’s on you. You have a great MANAGER (not a coach–hopefully Zlatan and the board treat him like one and back him), so support him. If you are going to be this negative when not a ball has even been kicked (I’m being metaphorical), then I don’t think there is a reason for you to support Milan.
Take care.
More important, Milan must have patience mentality with his new coach, especially like amorim style of play.
This is why he was backed to build this Milan team to suit his style 3-4-2-1. At Manchester, he tried with what he had/given but failed. Here, he has the power to choose who suits his system albeit negotiate an alternative where funds is lacking as well, reject or accept whoever is presented to him.
Forza Milan