It s not tactics, but player configuration: Why does Manchester United continue to lose even if the formation has improved?

Manchester United suffered another crushing defeat in major matches. The match against Manchester City ended 0-3, which was a familiar pain for loyal Old Trafford supporters.

The existing problems are not just about formation or tactics. Ruben Amorin did bring some minor improvements through the 3-4-2-1 formation, making the team more solid and united. However, the players' basic mistakes continue to happen, undermining the already established efforts.

Some goals that were supposed to score Manchester United goals this season have failed to achieve, and this is attributed to system problems. These goals actually stem from wrong position and player errors in judging the situation. From Bruno Fernandez to Luke Shaw, they all showed a "square and round chisel".

The biggest problem is no longer formation, but how Ruben Amorin can make the players play the role they should have. Without fundamental improvements, the same mistakes will continue to bother Manchester United.

Amorin 3-4-2-1: Improvement to fix the error

Since arriving in Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim has introduced a new approach through the 3-4-2-1 formation. This model has caused some controversy but has gradually begun to show positive results. Manchester United looks more compact in offense and defense, and the distance between the various defense lines is getting closer and closer.

This improvement can be seen in the first half of the match against Manchester City. Manchester United successfully made steals at high positions many times, and even created opportunities through quick counterattacks. This situation was rare last season because the defense was easily broken through.

However, all these developments seem to become meaningless because fundamental errors have occurred. Phil Foden's first goal was not due to a failure in formation, but because the key players appeared in positions they were not good at. It was this situation that subsequently obscured Manchester United's progress.

In other words, Ruben Amorin successfully organized the structure of the competition. However, the main problem comes from the internal problem, namely the mistake of player selection. This kind of mistake is repeated and leads to bad results.

Bruno Fernandez: Forced to be the core of the defensive midfielder

Bruno Fernandez's name became the main focus in Etihad's defeat. The Manchester United captain, known for being one of the world's best offensive organizers, was forced to take a deeper defense as a midfielder. However, this position exposed his very obvious weakness. The first goal of the

City team is direct evidence of this situation. Fernandez failed to foresee Foden's breakthrough from the second route. He was in the right position for a time, but lost his focus. He just stared at the ball and didn't read the opponent's movements. A similar situation happened when Manchester United lost a point against Fulham in August.

In fact, Bruno Fernandez's ability to pass the ball from the middle area is excellent. His inward pass can create space for forwards. However, when he needs defense, the effort of this ability comes at the cost of obvious defensive loopholes.

This situation shows that despite technically controlling the ball in various situations, Fernandez is still an offensive organizer. Putting him in a position that requires defensive discipline will only pose a huge risk to Manchester United.

Position error: Luke Shaw and the fragile defense line

Bruno Fernandez is not the only player to be forced out of his comfort zone. Luke Shaw is often used as a centre-back in the three-back formation, although he has played as a left winger for most of his career.

The results are obvious. In Manchester City's first goal, Luke Shaw was easily bypassed by Jeremy Doku. This situation shows that Luke Shaw was not completely comfortable as a central defender. While adaptation is possible, returning to familiar characters will make you more confident.

This shortcoming is more obvious in Manchester City's second goal. A series of mistakes occurred, from Manuel Ugat's loss of focus, to Mazraui's failure to close the space in time, to Lennie Yoro's failure to foresee Dooku's movement. It all starts with the players not fully firm in their respective positions.

Small mistakes accumulate when a player feels unnatural in his role. That's what happened on Manchester United's backline, and in the end they couldn't stand City's offensive wave in the second half.

United Road to United is really painful to make another mistake

Losing in the derby, but Manchester United has not actually performed completely badly this season. They had a chance to win against Arsenal, beat Burnley, and were supposed to end the game against Fulham with three points.

The problem is that whenever you face a strong team, the same weaknesses will be exposed again. The already improved system is not enough to conceal the fact that players are often mispositioned. As a result, repeated mistakes and bad results are inevitable.

Amorim still seems to stick to his chosen roster. However, if the player selection problem is not improved, the existing problem will not be resolved. Bruno Fernandez will continue to be considered a weakness in the midfield, Shaw will not be able to play the central defender position, and Manchester United will continue to concede the goal in the same way.

If this situation continues, Manchester United will only repeat the same cycle. Without Ruben Amorin’s courage to put the players in their best position, structural improvements would not make any sense.