Man Utd and Amorim cannot go on like this after latest crisis

Ruben Amorim says the loss of Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo has decimated Manchester United’s creativity.

Fernandes is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury while Mbeumo and Amad are away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon and Ivory Coast respectively.

The trio have together created 105 chances for United in the Premier League this season, which is almost as many chances (122) as the rest of the team have created combined.

United survived sustained second half pressure to beat Newcastle on Boxing Day but could only draw 1-1 to bottom club Wolves at Old Trafford on Tuesday when they looked well short of ideas going forward. 

With Mason Mount also out now after being substituted at half-time against Newcastle, Amorim says United have lost the vast majority of their creativity. 

“I don’t like to talk about that [the lack of depth], it sounds like an excuse,” the United manager said ahead of the trip to Elland Road to face Leeds on Sunday. “[But] it was bad luck to lose Amad, Bryan, especially, and Bruno at the same time.

“They had more creation in the opportunities than the rest of the team. If you lose the three of them at the same time, any team in the world will struggle. And now Mount.

“You have all the data and you can sense that three guys create most of the chances for us. And if you lose not one but all three at the same time, of course we are going to struggle.”

Amorim said the impact was being felt not just from open play but also from set-pieces. “Then you have to put set pieces in that. Who is kicking the set pieces? Amad, Bryan and Bruno,” he said. “So everything is combined and we just need to acknowledge that.

“The important thing is to understand why we struggled in the last three games in creation and quality in the game. I think it’s clear.”

With eight senior players missing through injury and the Afcon Amorim said it was “impossible” for anyone to leave this month as things stand. Joshua Zirkzee, Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte all face uncertain futures. 

“If you look at our squad, I think it’s impossible for someone to leave,” Amorim said. “But that is … they need to talk with Jason [Wilcox, the director of football].”

Amorim had suggested on Christmas Eve, prior to the Newcastle game, that he was not necessarily going to get the time and money required to play the “perfect 3-4-3” and as such was needing to adapt his system. “I have the feeling that if we have to play a perfect 3-4-3, we need to spend a lot of money and we need time,” he said. “So, I’m starting to understand that that is not going to happen so maybe I have to adapt.”

But Amorim was reluctant to discuss those remarks in further detail ahead of the Leeds match. “I don’t want to talk about that. I just focus on the Leeds game,” he said.

Asked if he regretted making those comments, Amorim added: “No, no, no. But I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to talk about that. Okay … You are very smart, so…”