Man Utd and Tottenham battle it out, but are Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou right to stick to their philosophies? | Football news
Adapt or die? Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou seem intent on falling on their own swords rather than changing their approaches in the face of adversity.
“I’m not going to change the way I see the game. That’s very clear to me,” said Amorim, after his Man Utd side lost 3-1 at home to Brighton on Sunday, slumping to a sixth defeat in the Premier League. season at Old Trafford.
He is determined to make the 3-4-2-1 formation that brought him so much success at Sporting work – no matter what it takes.
“The players will suffer, I’m sorry, the fans will suffer,” he continued. “I have one way of doing things, I know it will be that way [bring] results.”
At the same time, a depleted Tottenham were digesting a 3-2 defeat at Everton, which saw them concede three first-half goals against the Premier League’s second-worst attack.
Postecoglou has flexibility in formations – he started with a back three at Goodison Park before throwing it out the window at half-time. But the front foot approach, with or without the ball, is non-negotiable.
Even if it leads to Iliman Ndiaye running past Archie Gray and past Radu Dragusin to score. Or Arsenal push Spurs back into their defensive third as they repeatedly try and fail to play through their opponents’ pressure, as happened in midweek.
Amorim will point to his outstanding record as a two-time title winner at Sporting in Portugal, which earned him a move to United, as evidence why he should stick with his idea.
Similarly, Postecoglou pointed out that you don’t get from Australia to the Premier League without a clear philosophy.
Before taking over a game in the English league, he said he would not change his approach, regardless of the situation. Even if the Spurs held a 1-0 lead late in the crucial game. Since then, he has been adamant about it, despite injuries currently making up 80 percent of his first defense.
“In any sport, when I see teams break the traditional mold in some way, that’s when people get really uncomfortable with it — and that’s when you know, ‘OK, this could be something special,'” he said. during pre-season headquarters at Spurs’ training ground in August 2023.
“It’s not guaranteed to work. It could all fall apart and end in tears. But when you make people uncomfortable and uncomfortable with what they’re seeing, that probably means you’re breaking new ground, and I love that in anything in life .
“There are special things there and that’s the kind of space I’m in.”
Unfortunately for Postecoglou and Spurs, where they currently find themselves is 15th.
United is not much better placed either, only a couple of positions and points ahead. Both miles from where they want to be.
It’s time to test their commitment to their ideals, with both coaches routinely asking themselves: wouldn’t it be better to try something different for now? To make their lives easier in the short term? Protect inexperienced players, sit back and plug a leaky defense or wait until you make signings that better suit your style?
Both of them have little time for such proposals.
Later on Sunday, Manchester City moved back into the top four with a superb win at Ipswich, which saw Pep Guardiola revel in his players’ joy for the game. City have regained their momentum and their miserable months may be behind them.
But while it has been a season to forget for City so far, Guardiola stands as a point of difference in the approach to Amorim at United and Postecoglou at Tottenham. While the trio share similar ideas in the way they like to play the game, Guardiola’s success at City has come in different ways.
From harnessing Sergio Aguero to winning the Premier League without a striker and then recruiting the deadliest assassin of all in Erling Haaland, the centerpiece of Guardiola’s attack has transformed and then transformed again.
There were wide playmakers on the flanks, inverted wings and now, with Jeremy Doku, one-on-one dribblers. Behind them, the profile of full-backs has evolved from flying crossers to players comfortable enough on the ball to slot into central midfield. Sometimes in recent seasons, the entire back line was made up of central defenders.
Of course, Guardiola has been given the licence, the means and the time to mold his side to the challenges he faces. Amorim is still working with the squad assembled for Erik ten Hag, while Postecoglou’s fans will say that Daniel Levy and co. they did not support enough.
But it’s interesting to note that the Premier League’s most successful manager in the last decade has reinvented his team over and over again, while two coaches unwaveringly true to their idea – regardless of injuries, personnel or circumstances – currently languish just above the relegation zone.
Only time will tell if their stubbornness is well placed.
