Three things we learnt from Ruben Amorim’s tactical masterclass versus Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Manchester United’s incoming manager joked before kick off that he would be seen as the new Sir Alex Ferguson were his Sporting Lisbon to defeat the 2023 Champions League winners, Manchester City.

This joke became reality as the Portuguese coach sent the hype around him into overdrive with his side crushing the English champions 4-1 in an epic goodbye to the Estádio José Alvalade.

United fans will be even more excited by the fact that rumoured striking target Victor Gyokeres continued his prolific start to the season by adding another hat trick to his name against the club’s local rivals.

Amorim still has one more match in charge of Sporting Lisbon when they travel to Braga on Sunday night, before he will travel to Manchester to start his next role.

Here are three things we learnt about the 39 year old, as he propelled his name even further into the global spotlight.

Amorim sides can kill on the counter attack

“Amorim’s Sporting are characterised by a short-passing possession game, a three-at-the-back set-up and an aggressive pressing system facilitated by a high defensive line” according to Sky Sports, but they showed a different side to themselves last night.

As is to be expected with a significantly more talented and expensively assembled squad, City had 73% of the ball and over double the shots on goal of their hosts.

Amorim showed tactical flexibility to adapt to the situation and realise that his Sporting side could not go toe-to-toe with the English team but instead, ruthlessly picked apart the Rodri-less City on the counter.

Gyokeres levelled on the counter attack late in the first half and they won their penalty for their third goal of the game after swiftly taking advantage of Pep Guardiola’s team in transition.

United will obviously aim to dominate most teams under Amorim eventually, but as he builds his squad, it will please fans that he can show tactical flexibility to get results as the Red Devils will need to have this in their locker when they travel to the likes of Anfield and the Etihad later in the season.

Amorim’s power to change a game

One of United fans’ biggest gripes about Erik ten Hag was his seeming inability to fix issues mid-match or in fact, he would often make things worse with strange substitutions.

Amorim showed he is more than capable of firing a rocket up his team’s backside if their second half response is anything to look into.

Sporting naturally struggled to cope with City in the first half but managed to scramble their way back into the game to enter half-time level at 1-1.

The Portuguese champions came out firing in the second half, scoring seconds after the restart and converting a penalty a few moments later to race into a two goal lead.

United will hope he can show off this game-changing ability at Old Trafford as he will take charge of a very inconsistent and mentally weak dressing room.

His system benefits number nines

Another problem that Erik ten Hag never solved at Old Trafford was how to involve his striker in the match.

There were moments last season where Rasmus Hojlund was a passenger, barely touching the ball and in ways, this has continued this season.

While the forward has improved his link up play, he still struggles to get chances, demonstrated by the fact he has had only four shots on goal in the Premier League this season.

Gyokeres’ scarcely believable tally of 23 strikes to date demonstrates how Amorim’s system creates chances at will for the striker and both Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee will be licking their lips at the potential chance creation Amorim can generate for them over the course of the season.

United fans will first see their new manager in action after the international break when they travel to Portman Road to take on Ipswich Town on November 24.

Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images