Ruben Amorim could fix Manchester United with new midfield partnership

Manchester United has yet to sign a midfield player with four days remaining in the summer transfer window. This summer, Ruben Amorim made forward reinforcement a top priority, spending over £200 million on three attackers, but that was never going to be sufficient to solve all of his squad’s problems.

While a major issue last season was the lack of goals, it wasn’t the only one. United was frequently overwhelmed by any team that used a physical approach and gave up cheap goals far too frequently. That explains why they performed so poorly against Grimsby in the middle of the week and why they were so much better in Europe.

Their system was the other issue. Amorim will likely claim that the formation is overemphasized and that each function is far more complex than video games would make them seem. It almost seems ridiculous to propose that he try anything other than his signature 3-4-2-1 strategy.

But it’s obvious that something needs to change. United can’t keep spending money on the issues in the hopes that they would go away, even though they would like to add a goalie and a midfield player. The fact that they were left battered and bruised by a League Two team and were lucky enough to even force a penalty shootout suggests that there is a serious problem with the team.

Bruno Fernandes, who was brought on at halftime and was instrumental in everything the team accomplished well in the second half, significantly improved his team just three days after his appalling performance against Fulham. Although he is not as effective in a central midfield position as he is in an attacking one, it is obvious that he must be included in their starting lineup regardless of what they decide to do next.

Perhaps the most sensible short-term answer while Benjamin Sesko adjusts to the physicality of English football would be for United to continue experimenting with a fluid forward line without a recognized striker. The Slovenian may need more time to get used to his new surroundings with frequent substitute appearances rather than starting for a dysfunctional team, despite having been purchased for a hefty sum of money in the summer.

In addition to giving Kobbie Mainoo a spot in central midfield, this would enable Fernandes to play in attack alongside Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Although it is not precisely an endorsement, the 20-year-old was among United’s better players against Grimsby in midweek. When he is on the ball, he improves the team.

His aptitude for the holding midfield position is still clearly in question, and he will never be able to fully replace Amorim’s array of attacking midfield alternatives. Mainoo appears to be the greatest choice to play alongside Casemiro in the upcoming weeks, but it appears that he can only be used as the progressive option when paired with a deeper defensive midfielder.

Long-term, United would love to have a new anchor to launch attacks and protect the defense from the base of their midfield, but it will probably happen in the next phase of the rebuild, since two or three midfield additions are already required next summer.

How they react this weekend will determine whether or not Amorim is responsible for that rebuild. Despite United’s numerous midweek issues, Fernandes and Mainoo are not among them.