Ruben Amorim hasn’t exactly made a spectacular start at AC Milan and could now be making the same mistakes he made at Manchester United.
The Portuguese coach’s Rossoneri remain unbeaten in Serie A but have been held to draws in the past two games. They took on Benfica in their Europa League opener and suffered a 2-0 defeat at home.
Even though the Portuguese club started with a much-changed side, Amorim’s men struggled throughout the match. He couldn’t make changes that impacted the game either.
Before that, there was significant criticism after draws against Lazio and Juventus. Now, the ex-Manchester United manager is facing the spotlight once again.
Making same mistakes
Paolo Di Canio was present at the Sky Italia studios during Milan’s defeat to Benfica on Wednesday. He spoke about Amorim at length and accused him of falling back into the same patterns.
The Italian believes the Milan boss’ selection policy mirrors how he operated at Manchester United.
He said – via MilanNews24: “I followed Manchester. He had the same approach there. I followed him, every interview with a smile, [he says] we want to win. But then at the selection process, Amorim dropped Leao. At United, he dropped players he didn’t like. He’s making the same choices at Milan.”
Di Canio also indicated Amorim could be forcing specific players into his system.
“He’s looking for dynamic football. Cisse and Hutchinson behind Ramos? I don’t like Cisse playing centrally.
“Hutchinson can do it more, even if he’s a bit more of a butterfly. But I see them more on the outside. Hutchinson is also a fury, but he’s a bit of a butterfly. We’ll have to see if he has consistency.”
Amorim needs credit in the bank
At AC Milan, Amorim has constantly emphasised his system and ideas. This is clear in every press conference and he has very specific roles for players in his 3-4-2-1. This was also very evident at Manchester United.
At Milan, he remains unbeaten in Serie A. The last three games have been frustrating but overall, results are still in Amorim’s favour. His ideas still hold weight and that will continue to happen, if he keeps getting results. Without that, it could be a repeat of the Manchester United spell.
