RUBEN AMORIM is breaking rank by going against one of football’s most respected underwritten rules, and it’s working.
Manchester United have had a pretty torrid time this season, lying 14th in the Premier League table.
Nowhere has this lack of form been more evident than at Old Trafford, where the Red Devils have lost seven times at home in the league.
The ignominy of the run saw United equal a 132-year-old record, while it also placed a bad relegation omen over them; being their worst record since the club were last relegated in 1974.
One of the most damning stats has been their slow starts at home, with only Bournemouth scoring fewer than United’s 18 goals in the first half since the start of the 2023/24 season.
For many clubs, struggles at home can be solved by having favourable shooting conditions towards home fans in the second half, such as the Stretford End or the Kop etc.
However, in an effort to address United’s current shortcomings, Amorim has reversed the usual trend and has turned his own team around in the last three home games.
According to The Athletic, Amorim believes shooting towards the Stretford End in the first half – or right-to-left for TV viewers – can help improve their slow starts.
While this superstition is based purely on psychology, United have previously found success with the change even before Amorim’s arrival.
Since the 2016/17 season, United have shot towards the Stretford End in the first half 30 times, winning 21 games and losing just twice, while scoring 2.2 goals per game and conceding just 0.8.
The sample size is naturally far lower than the 137 times they have not been turned around, with that resulting in 72 wins and 30 defeats with 1.7 goals scored per game and 1.1 conceded.
Crucially, United register 0.5 MORE points when shooting at the Stretford End in the first half.
The curious benefits of this usually disruptive change have been seen in recent weeks under Amorim.
Heading into their clash with Ipswich two weeks ago, United’s two first-half goals were as many as they had managed in the previous 19 games combined.
Even last weekend’s match against Arsenal yielded results, as Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick on the stroke of half-time saw United go into half-time with the lead at home for the first time in over three months.
The Red Devils could have counted themselves unfortunate to draw that game considering the chances they had.
But ultimately they preserved their historic record of being unbeaten at home when winning at the interval.
On the tactic, Amorim said: “We score near the half-time, that helped us a lot in the end.
“In the second half, we had more space and more energy also because of the result and our fans, to score another goal.”
However, the tactic is not fool-proof, with United coming unstuck when they were eliminated in the FA Cup against Fulham following an end switch.
United next face Real Sociedad at home in the second leg of their Europa League last 16 tie.
They took a 1-1 draw away from the first leg, but they have never beaten the Spanish side in England.
Man Utd ratings vs Arsenal as De Ligt shows exactly why Red Devils signed him but Zirkzee is as frustrating as ever
IT was a performance that would have pleased Ruben Amorim but a 1-1 draw with Arsenal does little to paper over the cracks at Manchester United.
On a day when the Old Trafford crowd protested the owners, the players stood up to show their remains life in a club that fans say is experiencing a “slow death”.
There was a lack of clear-cut chances in the opening 45 minutes as both sides goalscoring troubles continued.
A moment of magic was needed and Fernandes stepped up as he so often does.
Arsenal’s wall was full of man mountains, but Fernandes found the power, dip and accuracy to beat David Raya with his free-kick – even if the wall was marched 11.2 yards back instead of the regulated ten.
Mikel Arteta’s side came out swinging in the second-half with their makeshift No9 up top, and it took a brilliant effort from Declan Rice to level the scores.
United were able to frustrate them and remain a threat on the counter but eventually had to settle for a point in a much-improved performance.
Here is how SunSport’s Martin Blackburn rated the United performances.
Read the full article here
