Another night, another bright spark, another calamity – or two.
As Ruben Amorim looks to mould the Manchester United squad into one that is his own, there have been signs of improvement over recent weeks, and there were more last night despite the Red Devils slipping to a 2-2 draw in Lyon.
This was a performance that was encouraging in places, with United probably the better of the two sides with Bruno Fernandes and Leny Yoro particularly impressive.
But in a match that briefly looked like one of the most positive of Ruben Amorim’s reign, there were, once again, a few reminders of the scale of the job the Portuguese has on his hands, as Andre Onana’s mistakes meant that United had to settle for a draw.
And as he tries to win the Europa League, Amorim is battling the same problems that many managers face – in terms of injuries, set-up and personnel – though it seems as though he is at a loss as to what the defining factor is in United’s mixed form.
But it is precisely these issues that Amorim will have to solve in Europe if his side are to win the competition, with victory potentially providing a vital stepping stone in the Portuguese’s Old Trafford rebuild.
In terms of Amorim’s problems, the team’s style and formation make all the headlines, but for all the talk of the 3-4-2-1, United’s results are consistently influenced by moments of quality – or, as was the case yesterday, a lack thereof – rather than the system itself.
The attacking is often slow and ponderous rather than clearly rehearsed or deeply ingrained, and though there are glimpses of the sorts of attacking runs Amorim wants his players to make, they are less frequent than they should be.
They have improved somewhat defensively as a unit, but United still leak goals and look worryingly open at times at the back. But is this a case of Amorim’s tactics or a lack of player ability and intelligence?
It seems he may not even know. Many will point to the latter as a first retort, citing the performances of Onana, Rasmus Hojlund and others as they ask what more Amorim could do.
But the answer was clear against Lyon, with the general improvement in the team evident after the introduction of Joshua Zirkzee alongside the previously sidelined Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount.
That trio’s cameos illustrated that the gap in quality between some players is simply bewildering, and ...
