Since Amorim's arrival, there’s been a lot of talk around his preferred 3-4-2-1 system. Personally, I don’t have any real issue with the formation itself. Most systems evolve fluidly in-game anyway, and we’ve seen that to some extent under him. My issue lies more with the profiles being selected to execute it. A good manager isn’t just someone who has a philosophy - they’re someone who knows how to adapt that philosophy to the players at their disposal.
Now, I get it - we’re not working with a world-class squad here. Amorim doesn’t have the same tools he had at Sporting, and that inevitably makes things trickier. But if you’re trying something over and over again without consistent success, surely, you have to consider a tweak? At some point, persistence becomes stubbornness.
After Onana’s costly errors against Lyon, Amorim publicly held his hands up, saying: “If you look at the season, I've made more mistakes than them in these last games and these last months.” While that might seem like he’s protecting the players and taking responsibility, he’s actually right. He has made a number of poor decisions.
A common defence for him is: "These aren’t his players." But that’s a bit of a cop-out, for me. Managing a team isn’t just about waiting until you have your perfect XI - it’s about getting the best out of what you have. If you can’t adapt your approach to the squad in front of you, then what’s the point of being a manager?
Take the Newcastle game as an example. Plenty of people picked up on this, but it’s worth repeating: his obsession with dropping the middle centre-back into midfield - something that worked at Sporting - isn’t translating here. Against Newcastle, Lindelof was pushed into midfield, Yoro shifted to a quasi-left back role, and Mazraoui took up his usual spot on the right. This left us with a pivot of Ugarte and Lindelof, with Eriksen and Bruno dropping deep to help build.
The issue? First, we didn’t have the right profiles in those deeper areas to deal with Newcastle’s press. And second, on the few occasions we did beat the press, we lacked the numbers and cutting edge in the final third.
For me, Amorim had to see that it wasn’t working and adjust. Instead, he stuck with it for 90 minutes, further exposing the weaknesses of certain players, rather than playing to their strengths. And that, fundamentally, is a manager’s job - maximise your squad’s ability, even if it means compromising slightly on your ideal setup.
Again, I’m not against his system. I actually think we’ve looked sharper in certain recent matches, and there are glimpses of progress. But if he continues to be this rigid, he may find himself under pressure a lot sooner than anyone expected.
Amorim is known for being inflexible. During his time at Sporting CP, this trait has drawn considerable criticism.
His early months at the club mirrored his start at Manchester United. He introduced a 3-4-2-1 system — and that was it. There were no alternatives. He was fully convinced this was the best way for his team to play. By the end of that season, criticism began to grow, and many supporters were unsure whether he should remain in charge for the following year.
Then came the next season, with a renewed squad. The signings were surprisingly good, although fans initially didn’t quite understand the strategy behind them. The team still lacked a proper striker, and reports indicated that Amorim specifically requested Paulinho.
That season went remarkably well, and Sporting CP won the Portuguese league title. However, during the winter transfer window, it became clear: Amorim wanted Paulinho — and no one else. As a result, Sporting spent a record fee to bring him in. Most people didn’t quite understand the move, as Paulinho was… well… neither outstanding nor terrible. He had the potential to be good, but more often than not, he underperformed and drew heavy criticism.
The following season, Paulinho crumbled under the pressure. He insisted on playing Ricardo Esgaio, who was widely criticised by fans. Throughout the season, supporters voiced their frustration with the lack of tactical alternatives and the persistence in using underperforming players. Amorim did not care. He insisted that Esgaio and Paulinho were doing very well and knew everything of the game.
Ironically, this very stubbornness became one of the key reasons for Amorim’s success. After a long spell of fan frustration, Esgaio - originally brought in to replace Pedro Porro - suffered an injury. This forced Amorim to turn to Geny Catamo, a reserve player who had previously been loaned to Marítimo and was not seen as a serious option.
Amorim began using Geny as a right-back or right-midfielder. That change became one of the defining moments of his success at Sporting CP.
The back three remained, but the setup evolved: Nuno Santos, originally a winger, was now often deployed as a left-back or a left-midfielder. Matheus Reis, a left-back, played as a centre-back. Geny, a left-footed winger, took on the right-back role. Despite still appearing to field five defenders, the team effectively played with only three at the back. Occasionally, Amorim adjusted further — for instance, using Matheus Reis as a left-back to push Geny further forward as a winger.
At the same time, Paulinho started partnering with Gyökeres up front. The once heavily criticised striker finally began to thrive. With less pressure, he operated between the lines, sometimes coming off the bench and creating chances. He evolved from a system with one striker and started some matches with two strikers.
That said, Amorim remains a rigid manager. He famously dropped fan-favourite Slimani, benched another fan-favourite, Jérémy Mathieu, and did the same with Marcos Acuña. His commitment to players like Esgaio or Paulinho, despite poor form, was unwavering.
He is capable of adapting, but only when triggered by an event he deems significant. For example, he eventually gave minutes to Quaresma — a player he had dismissed since his first season and had publicly stated he would not count on again.
