Amorim Defends Three-At-Back Amid Poor Start

Manchester United have made a poor start under Ruben Amorim, sitting 14th with two wins from six games (seven points) after a 3-1 loss at Brentford and are already out of the League Cup and European competition. Ahead of his 50th match in charge against promoted Sunderland, Amorim defended his three-at-the-back approach—variously described as 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3—saying the problems are inconsistency and execution rather than the system itself. He rejected system-focused blame, insisting "it is not time to say, it is time to show," and admitted the Brentford performance was "disjointed." The defeat drew criticism from club legends including Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney, while former players and coaches such as Gus Poyet publicly defended Amorim. He praised Sunderland boss Régis Le Bris and urged greater daily consistency in training and performance.