Darren Fletcher will hand over the reigns of Manchester United to a caretaker manager and admits he must restore the style instilled by Ruben Amorim, but there is little room for adjustment.
Ruben Amorim’s style failed to propel Manchester United forward (Image: Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Manchester United caretaker manager Darren Fletcher has admitted that his successor will have to reinstate a way of playing that is “difficult to adapt” as the team moves away from Ruben Amorim’s style.
The Portuguese head coach was sacked last week after 14 months in charge. One of the hallmarks of his tenure was the 3-4-3 philosophy, which he refused to deviate from, even if it did not yield the desired results.
Amorim was a passionate defender of his system, often suggesting it was not the cause of the team’s poor performance. He played tenaciously with the wing-back three. So United’s players have had that drilled into them for over a year.
This is not the club’s traditional game plan, with Fletcher admitting the next player is likely to be Ole Gunnar Solskjær or Michael Carrick, and admitted they need to spend time recovering the lessons learned under Amorim.
The manager spoke about future challenges as follows: “You might be used to confidence and playing a certain style or formation, but it’s hard to adapt from there. But like I said, they need to come together. The biggest thing for me is that the group, the players and the person leading them come together.
read more: Marcus Rashford shows his true colors in new footage after the win against Real Madridread more: Darren Fletcher explains reaction to Shay Lacey’s red card after Manchester United teenager speaks out
“They are the only ones in this situation, they are the only ones who can do something about it, and confidence can be built by accumulating results. We want to play great football, but first we have to find a way to win and once we do that, it takes hard work, attitude and application. It may not be pretty at times, but we can grow and build from there, and that could lead to some fast and exciting football.”
In the two games since Amorim was sacked, United have drawn with Burnley and lost to Brighton in the FA Cup, highlighting the problems facing the next manager. The club will appoint an interim manager for the remainder of the season before appointing a permanent manager in the summer.
Darren Fletcher claimed there was little room for adaptation when it came to the Ruben Amorim system he inherited (Image: Getty Images)
The Red Devils remain in the hunt for Champions League qualification, even if their silver medal hopes end by mid-January.
Fletcher tried to talk about the possibilities that remain this season. The Scotsman said: “They are experienced players, they are talented players. Like I said, I will ask them to regroup, but it is their fault. Someone will come in and lead them and they need to be able to play a lot heading into this season. This team is still good enough to be successful this season, but they have to dig deep and find a way within themselves.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£43
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
