Post Match Verdict 25/26 (Gameweek 19)

Serious Questions Need to Be Asked About Amorim: Another United Scripted Disaster?

The Formation Fiasco: Back Three or Back Five?

The final whistle blew, leaving a familiar bitter taste. Another chance to gain ground, another opportunity squandered. And once again, serious questions need to be asked about Amorim’s tactical choices, which frankly, are baffling.

We came into this game expecting a solid back four, ready to play smooth football like we saw in flashes against Newcastle. What we got instead was a confusing mess. For the opening minutes, it looked like a back three, then a back five. Against Wolves! At home! This tactical indecision from Amorim is just infuriating.

We had an early chance from a corner, almost went in, but honestly, most of us were probably more focused on trying to decipher the formation than celebrating. Fast forward 20 minutes, and Wolves, *at Old Trafford*, had more final third passes than us. That doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence, does it? We looked neither solid nor subtle.


A Glimmer of Hope, Quickly Faded

Then, a moment of magic (or pure luck, let’s be honest). Heaven takes the ball high, somehow gets it to Zirkzee. He takes a shot, it takes a deflection, and *boom*! Goal! 1-0 United. We’ll take it, of course we will. The irony isn’t lost on anyone that the player likely departing to Roma scores. Typical United.

After the goal, we did feel a bit more confident. We controlled the ball, looked a bit freer. But it didn’t last. We should have built on that.


Defensive Woes and a Lost Clean Sheet

Around the 40-minute mark, Wolves started to create. Lammens pulled off a De Gea-esque save with his legs, brilliant stuff. Personally, I was desperate for a clean sheet – Dorgu and Dalot in my FPL, you know the drill. I was also genuinely scared of their tall, physical striker; our defenders looked tiny next to him.

And then, just like clockwork, the clean sheet was gone. Krejci scores. From a set-piece. Unmarked. Disappointing doesn’t even begin to cover it. Back to work, United. Half-time, 1-1. It felt like we were playing a top-four side, not a team we *should* be dominating at home.


Second Half: More Questions, Fewer Answers

The second half started with a substitution: Jack Fletcher on for Zirkzee. Zirkzee did look tired and a bit lazy, so maybe fair enough. Sesko had a good chance, heading straight at the goalkeeper. Then Jose Sa, their keeper, almost fumbled a back pass into his own net, but somehow dived and saved it. These moments show how desperate we were for something to happen, anything.

Lammens, again, was a lifesaver with a double save in the 63rd minute. From Onana to Lammens, the goalkeeping has been a crazy upgrade, at least there’s that. Later, Mantato and Yoro came on for Heaven and Ugarte.


Serious Questions: Amorim’s Stubbornness and Lack of Progress

This is the problem I have with Amorim. After a year, I haven’t seen a clear pattern of play. We don’t look like a team with a coherent strategy. We had a clear chance to climb above Chelsea, who were drawing with Bournemouth. We *needed* these three points.

Just look at the stats from the match overview image. Wolves had a higher Expected Goals (xG) of 1.16 compared to our 0.84. This isn’t just bad luck; it means they created better chances! Our keeper made 3 saves, theirs made 5, indicating they were under more pressure, but their chances were more dangerous. We had more possession (56%), but what was it for? To pass it sideways?

It’s embarrassing. Every time we get a chance to go up, we drop points. This should have been a guaranteed three points. I have to call out Cunha too – super selfish, slow, not passing well. It felt like he was playing for himself.


Another Disappointing Result, Another Missed Opportunity

We almost had it! Dorgu nearly scored, only for the linesman’s flag to go up. Offside. VAR confirmed it. Just another kick in the teeth, right when we thought we had it.

Another disappointing result. A chance to leapfrog Chelsea, gone. A performance that showed absolutely nothing. Giving minutes to players like Fletcher and Mantato who just don’t look ready.

We should have won this game. If United are serious about competing, serious questions need to be asked about Amorim. I don’t see him as a long-term manager. He showed stubbornness, reverting to a back three/five when we looked more solid in a back four. And what did that get us? A draw and dropped points.

We seriously need to focus on signing a new manager. My target remains Xavi, as I’ve said before. We need someone with a clear vision, not this tactical merry-go-round.

We’re playing Leeds away. A long-term rivalry against an in-form Leeds team who just drew with Liverpool. Great. Just great. Brace yourselves, United fans.


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