There are two sorts of managerial or teaching complications in soccer: one, the place accidents imply you do not have sufficient gamers and it’s a problem simply to select a crew; two, as a result of you may have a number of choices and should determine each the perfect mixture and find out how to handle disappointment.
The latter is the great type of headache that bosses really need.
And it is that state of affairs now presenting itself to new Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim in the case of the huge forwards at his disposal.
The Portuguese is anticipated to deliver the 3-4-3 formation he used to such good impact at Sporting CP, with proof of such a system already seen in coaching highlights this week. United are nonetheless having points at centre-back, with Harry Maguire sidelined, Lisandro Martinez withdrawing from Argentina’s squad and Victor Lindelof injured whereas in motion for Sweden. However the wing-back division, which may even embrace Antony in a ‘Victor Moses underneath Antonio Conte’-style redemption arc, seems to be more healthy than it might need performed amid Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw being again in full coaching.
On the high finish of the pitch, flanking possible beginning central striker Rasmus Hojlund, United have too many gamers for the huge ahead positions on provide. It does not imply the lineup might be locked and will not change, but when solely two gamers are common starters, one could have to just accept a diminished function.
Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo every have their particular person strengths, in addition to being versatile sufficient to play on both facet. However all have a most popular function and Amorim might want to work out find out how to utilise and get the perfect out of the trio.
Essentially the most confirmed goalscorer within the Manchester United squad because it sits is Rashford. Regardless that he hasn’t been in good type for round 18 months, the now 27-year-old scored 30 objectives through the 2022/23 marketing campaign. He’d additionally surpassed 20 objectives in two of the three seasons earlier than that. These sorts of numbers do not occur by fluke or accident, particularly not a number of occasions. There’s a excellent participant able to be unleashed as soon as extra, and it will likely be all the way down to Amorim to deliver it out of him.
Rashford has predominantly performed from the left lately, though numerous appearances this season alone have been on the appropriate. He has been identified to play centrally too, each when he burst into the crew in 2016 and sometimes throughout his 30-goal marketing campaign. However from a goalscoring perspective, if Amorim is to uncover the outdated Rashford, he could also be greatest suited to the left.
That is already the place issues begin, as a result of Alejandro Garnacho can be primarily a left winger as nicely – that’s the place he is scored six of his seven objectives this season from. So if the 20-year-old Argentine is to play in the identical crew as Rashford, one among them will not be of their most popular place on the pitch, which has been the case numerous occasions in latest months.
Proper now, Garnacho bears appreciable similarities to Cristiano Ronaldo on the identical age. It’s abundantly clear how proficient he’s, and he’s already able to pulling off decisive and/or game-changing moments. The place Garnacho wants to enhance is consistency, which got here for Ronaldo forward of the 2006/07 season when he was 21, after which supercharged going into 2007/08.
Of the three, Amad Diallo is essentially the most snug on the appropriate, however can be the least confirmed.
The Ivory Coast worldwide, signed in an eye-raising deal value as much as £37m when he was an unknown 18-year-old, has been one thing of a sluggish burner to this point. That is already Amad’s fourth season with United and he has grafted out on mortgage with Rangers and Sunderland, in addition to having to take care of a irritating damage layoff when he returned from the latter on a large excessive.
Amad began this season with promise after which bizarrely fell out of favour in the direction of the top of Erik ten Hag’s reign, earlier than discovering his toes once more throughout Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim tenure. If Amorim needs a pure proper winger, the 22-year-old is the perfect match, however it entails dropping one of many others.
