Side note: funnily enough, inverting the CCB works much better with this long, direct strategy rather than short build up. The CCB moves up, which means one of the CM can move up, too, to better challenge for second balls.

2. Return of Amad as RWB A change that seems to have gone slightly under the radar is the return of Amad as our primary RWB option. Started as one of the AMs against Grimsby, Chelsea and City + missing the Brentford game had a massive, underappreciated negative impact. Simply

3. OOP & 5-2-3 improvements This one is of pivotal importance, but still imperfect. First of all, we stopped pressing high with only three forwards, leaving major gaps between our front and midfield units. Now it’s usually either 5-4-1 or 4-4-2 (at times against Brighton,

The changes Amorim introduced are not groundbreaking; they are common sense changes. Which is precisely what makes them good. Platforming your best players well and keeping things efficient & simple worked great for ETH in his 1st season, for example.

I see a lot of posts implying that Amorim didn’t need to change a thing in order to win. That it was all about player quality, mentality, etc. This is only true if you think the formation = the system. He kept the basic formation, sure, but changed a lot of systematic things.

For example, in posession, United have gone from lots of retention in 1st phase & attempts to progress through wide overloads, to going direct from CBs to AMs, to going long and direct from the GK to the CF. That’s a lot of tweaks since last season.

The very fact Amorim adapted - and adapted with success - gives hope for the future more than any single change introduced.

Now, can we keep this going? I’m more optimistic after Brighton than I was after Sunderland and Liverpool. It was a more complete and mature performance, not as hectic and random as Anfield seemed at times.

A good warning to heed would be ETH’s aforementioned 1st season. He made pragmatic tweaks and got excellent results. But as opposition adapted, we lost momentum and fell apart completely in 2nd season. The step up to a more progressive system never happened.

Amorin deserves serious credit for introducing major changes to his system, boosting the physical levels of the squad and keep it together during a terrible run of results. But he would be wise to think ahead and not let opponents catch up too soon.

@tactixology I would say this is your most positive thread all season long 😂. Good job sir

@tim36050 Well, it’s the first 3-win run we’ve had in a while. Thank you

@tactixology So next summer transfer strategy is to find subs for Amad and left WB as well

@btcmalaysia1957 Yes, would definitely think we’ll go for CMs ans WBs

@tactixology @TheDevilsDNA He’s pragmatic. Play long 2 games, mix up vs brighton, who knows what against forest. I think he was prioritising mentality and that required sticking to one system for a while. Now he can afford to tweak it. It’s never as clear cut as that but along those lines. Lifer|||pk

@tactixology Finally , a thread that gives the man some credit. I did see some build up from the back during the game vs Brighton. Not often but i think the team was instructed to mix it up from time to time. Especially in the second half when we had a 3 goal lead. Thoughts?

@tactixology @eternal_moi Good thread this🧵 Love the point about the CCB. Revelation

@tactixology His game plan over the past two games has been excellent. Two completely different teams and Forest will be a different challenge as well. I’m expecting a low block and a more patient approach required to break it down. If we win this as well, I will be very optimistic.

@tactixology (1)They played long ball because of Senne long ball completion % (by previous data) (2) Amad play no10 because Mount and Cunha was injured and he wanted Amad force in attacks

@tactixology Just coming across your page, this is mt first impression of you This was truly adept, just earned a follower Hope to debate some with you

@tactixology It better you make your mistake now than correcting it at the front

@tactixology I think Amorim has adapted with what he has available and to good effect, he is not entirely giving up on building up from the back put when he gets the personnel he will go back to it. Do you think we send a bid for Baleba in January?

@tactixology Yeah have to say the Brighton game made me feel a whole lot better. United dominated, created the better chances, better situations and with a variety of ways. Against Brighton we've very rarely done that.

@tactixology Hopefully teams will stop pressing us as hard allowing our players to have less pressure building up from the back

@tactixology 😂 all these a line coaches with no jobs Altay could also kick the ball even longer this keeper brought confidence to the back line to let them do their job and not worry about his.

@tactixology I think he will re introduce short build up again...basically from last year we were getting caught up a lot by a high m2m press in the first build up phase, so now we are sending signals that if they do so, we can exploit spaces they leave on the back.

@tactixology Fairs but I think the biggest change is him now using 442 OOP with Cunha constantly dropping deep eve in possession. That's plugged a lot of holes in midfield.

@tactixology Not particularly important here but why did you use AI for this image. Otherwise great thread

@tactixology I have to give credit for Amorim making adjustments to his system - it may have been self preservation to get results as the pressure was huge after Brentford. However, I think sensible people can see there are still gaps in areas such as controlling games, chance creation etc

@tactixology Agreed with everything here and kudos to Amorim for these tweaks. But I want to see how much running our fwd line does in order to win those 2nd balls vs how much they used to do in previous clubs? Coz they can’t run for full 90’ chasing the 2nd balls. Will be found out soon.

@tactixology The losses was worth it

@tactixology Licha will get some progression going when he comes back

@tactixology Excellent thread The reality is that Amorim HAS adapted Not enough yet, but the results are an improvement But I want to raise that the shift to a more direct style started as soon as the league began this year We've been one of the most direct teams the entire season

@tactixology that AI Amorim is embarrassing.