Amorim should be judged on adaptation, not replication
The back 3, the wingbacks and where Bruno fits are the wrong questions; the real ones concern risk-reward, pressing structure and whether his model can evolve here.
The real questions about Amorim are not whether a back 3 can work in the PL, nor whether we have the wingbacks for it, nor where Bruno fits into his front 3.
These questions assume Amorim would replicate his current approach - and if we assume replication, he’s doomed already.
The real questions are:
🔴 would he be able to retain his core principles while swiftly adapting them for the PL and our squad?
🔴 would he be able to adapt to a world where the individual quality gap is not nearly as pronounced in the league?
🔴 would he recognize that certain aspects of his current model - such as an aggressive 3-1-6 build up - might carry more risk and bring less reward in the PL?
🔴 would he be able to rework his OOP structure (pressing, rest defense, block) to adjust the risk-reward ratio?
🔴 would he be visionary enough to build a progressive long-term model, but pragmatic enough to fix things and find solutions along the way?
🔴 would he be very player-centric, or would the game model favor patterns?
On a very macro level, it boils down to: would he able to take what he’s learned to build something new?
Can we expect him to have the intelligence, character, knowledge and energy to keep innovating and keep matching the best tactical minds on the continent?
If we are getting him merely for what he’s done, rather than what he might do for us, we would be replicating the flawed Glazer approach of going for a shiny new toy.
So it’s crucial that the new board has these in-depth discussions with him. Discussions on the specific adaption of his principles to the PL, his pressing structure, his transitional defense, his build up and progression ideas etc.
Because his previous success should serve merely as an indicator, not a copy-paste clipboard, of what Amorim or any other coach might build here. I think Amorim carries many risks and would not be my 1st pick for United.
The current gaps in his Sporting model indicate many of the same flaws that ETH had at United. At the same time, on some primal level, appointing Amorim does seem like an exciting idea.
The lesson of ETH’s tenure is that United should look beyond what the coach has achieved - and consider what he wants to do here. With the right support, guidance, honest communication & control mechanisms, I think it could work out.