Amorim must find ways to improve Utd without additions in the transfer market

How do you solve a problem like Manchester United? That is the challenge for Ruben Amorim.

Presumably it's a question he answered sufficiently for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co to convince them to part ways with Erik ten Hag and prize him away from his all-conquering Sporting CP side.

But in the days following his appointment as Red Devils boss, reports have indicated that his job comes with an uncomfortable condition: how to solve a problem like Manchester United, whose squad is packed with expensive players who you might not like, without the budget to correct it?

It is clear that there is little appetite within the United hierarchy to undertake another major overhaul of the player selection. Their profit and sustainability position means that there is another significant expense with even more expensive consequences.

So Amorim will have to make do with what he has. However, let's not feel too sorry for him. He may not get the £600m to spend like his predecessor, but the Portuguese is still about to get his hands on the most talented squad he has ever worked with.

What solutions can be found in the current Red Devils squad to allow Amorim to shape the squad in his own image and dramatically improve performances, results and the atmosphere at Old Trafford?

Use Antony as a right back

We're coming out of the gate with this one, but the simple fact is that the Red Devils need to find a way to rehabilitate Antony's market value. The £85.5m they spent on him in 2022 was £40m too much at the time and if the club hope to recoup even half of the amount spent, they will have to reintegrate him into the squad.

Ten Hag had clearly given up on him in the end, meaning the Brazilian only got 27 minutes of action in the Premier League. Amorim's expected 3-4-3 would almost certainly mean an end to his days as a United striker, but he could prove to be a useful full-back.

In the Portuguese's system, his full-backs operate in similar positions to wingers, staying high and wide to pull apart the opponent's shape and open up central areas.

Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and Tyrell Malacia are obvious candidates for the starting spot, while Luke Shaw could replace Lisandro Martinez at centre-back given his experience in the role and his injury record.

Before further reinforcements can be acquired, Antony could do some interesting work for the new United boss against weaker opposition or when the side are chasing a goal.

His performances in United's 4-3 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season provide a blueprint. In probably his best game for the club, the 24-year-old hugged the touchline, successfully completing all six of his dribbles and assisting a goal after a sublime cross with the outside of his foot.

Play Marcus Rashford as a striker

'I often prefer to play on the left.' said Marcus Rashford after grabbing a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in December 2022. The forward was on course to score 30 goals in all competitions – his best ever return – as United qualified for the Champions League and won the Carabao Cup.

It was difficult to go against Rashford's wishes, but two years later the landscape has changed dramatically. The goals have dried up, just eight in his last 44 top-flight games, and other wide forwards have emerged at the club.

Addressing Rashford's comments after the win over Forest, he added: 'If there is a weakness in the middle or if there is a certain style of player that I think I can exploit then I would like to have the freedom have to try and move and try. and do that. I'd like to see what I feel on the pitch.'

Freedom could be a particularly important word under Amorim, whose teams enjoy flexibility and strong rotation within its structure. The Englishman could be deployed as a central striker, but frequently switched positions with the two number 10s behind him or even one of the wing-backs.

It should also be noted that Rashford had a good record when played through the middle. In his best ever season, Ten Hag played him twelve times as a central striker in the league and his record stood at seven goals and four assists.

For all his faults, Rashford is almost always available. Since his breakthrough in 2016, he has never played fewer than 31 Premier League matches. That could be particularly valuable for Amorim with Rasmus Hojlund's injury record and Joshua Zirkzee's struggles.

Focus on a low-risk loan agreement

According to recent reports, Amorim does not see a future for Zirkzee at Old Trafford. It seems strange to drop him after just a few months, but if he makes a hasty exit in January, it will open up a spot in the squad that needs to be filled for little money.

A loan agreement could provide the perfect solution and there just happens to be a player on the market that fits the bill. PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani has not had the best of times since returning to France last year.

The forward was linked with a move to Manchester before the Parisian completed his contract for an eye-watering £77 million. The 25-year-old's debut season was disappointing and this season has started in the same way.

Luis Enrique has given him just two starts in the league and he has even failed to leave the bench in a few games.

There is still a player of enormous quality there and United could do a lot worse than bring him to the club on a temporary basis.

Keep players fit

The number of injuries United suffered last year provided some mitigation for their dismal domestic and European performances. That is until the problems persisted this season.

Amorim has brought Paulo Barreira to Manchester, a sports scientist and former Liverpool and Arsenal employee. He will be tasked with ensuring that the club's injury record improves.

And we will soon find out whether Ten Hag's training methods were responsible for the epidemic or whether the club has a lot of injury-prone players.

The prospects look positive for the new boss at the moment, with the likes of Malacia, Leny Yoro, Shaw and Mason Mount closing in on a return to matchday. The upcoming celebration program offers players a great opportunity to earn some minutes.

More rotation

Ten Hag was not a tinkerer. The Dutchman had his favorites, especially in attack, and would ride, or in his case die, by his choice. Amorim will have to take a different approach given the above point about injuries and the busy schedule ahead.

The Portuguese's first game in the United dugout against Ipswich on Sunday begins a run of 11 games in 37 days across three competitions. United will play a midweek match each of the next five weeks, including big games against Arsenal, Tottenham in the League Cup and crucial Europa League games.

It's shaping up to be a crucial stage for the club, who, despite being 13th in the division, are just four points outside the top four.

The latest era at Manchester United begins this week and its success will depend on Amorim's ability to make the most of what he has.

Should Champions League qualification and/or a cup win be achieved, his job will only get easier from here.