‘Not Even the Pope’: Amorim Dismisses Calls to Change Manchester United Formation

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has doubled down on his tactical philosophy, insisting that no amount of outside pressure, not even from the Pope himself, will persuade him to abandon his preferred system, Sport360NG reports.

The Portuguese coach faces mounting scrutiny after a poor run of form, with only one win in four Premier League fixtures and an early EFL Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby. To add to the turbulence, United were beaten in last weekend’s Manchester derby at the Etihad.

Minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe visited Carrington on Thursday, arriving by helicopter, though the club stressed the meeting was scheduled rather than crisis talks. Amorim, however, played down its significance, joking: “He was offering me a new contract.”

When pressed on whether Ratcliffe had urged him to move away from his much-criticised 3-4-2-1 system, Amorim was blunt:
“No, no, no. No one, not even the Pope, will change this. This is my job, my responsibility, my life. I will not change that.”

The 39-year-old explained that sticking to his principles is essential to maintain authority in the dressing room.
“If I give in to outside pressure, players will look at me differently,” he said. “Every decision has an impact on the team. I’m doing it my way. Hopefully, I’ll have the time to adapt, but it will be an evolution, not a reaction.”

United face Chelsea at Old Trafford next, before clashes with Brentford and newly-promoted Sunderland. While club officials deny he has been given a three-match ultimatum, Amorim recognises the importance of results in shaping the narrative around his tenure.

The return of £62.5m forward Matheus Cunha from injury means Bruno Fernandes is set to continue in a deeper midfield role against Chelsea. The captain has come under criticism for lapses in defensive awareness, including during City’s opener last weekend, but Amorim remains convinced he is most effective in central areas.

“I want Bruno to have more possession and control of the game,” the coach explained. “He may lose some freedom to get into the box, but he still creates and shoots. With Cunha available, we gain an extra option up front. Bruno gets frustrated because we’re not winning, but he has a job to do.”

Meanwhile, director of football Jason Wilcox has spoken publicly about the scale of the rebuilding task since his arrival in April 2024. Speaking at an event for former United players, the 54-year-old admitted he was surprised by the state of the club.
“I thought it was in a much better place than it was,” Wilcox said. “The whole structure needed to change. I pray we get the chance to turn it around. For me, it’s not ‘if’ we’ll win again, but ‘when’.”