Paul Merson says Ruben Amorim must adapt his tactics at Manchester United to improve his “unthinkable” record.

In his latest column for Sky Sports, Merson argues the players at United do not fit Amorim’s system – and he has even suggested Chelsea would have been a better fit for the Portuguese manager.

Also, The Magic Man discusses Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes after their 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest and Liverpool’s interesting start to the season after Mohamed Salah’s late penalty got them out of jail at Burnley.

Read on for Merson’s thoughts in full…

‘Amorim’s system doesn’t suit the players’

Ruben Amorim, the way he wants to play, is a worry.

He won’t change. He’ll look at it and say ‘I’ve got where I am today by playing the way I play’, using three at the back and high wing-backs.

He would have been a perfect fit for Chelsea. They’ve got world-class wing-backs in Reece James and Malo Gusto, they’ve got the best holding midfield player in the league in Moises Caicedo. It would fit the players.

You look at Man United and this system does not suit the squad they’ve got at all. The two wing-backs are nowhere near it, nowhere near good enough. And they are a big part of this formation working. No legs in midfield. Everything is up against him.

‘You’ve got to be able to change’

You’ve got to be able to change now and then. You can tweak it, it’s horses for courses, that doesn’t mean you are abandoning your beliefs.

I don’t see them finishing anywhere near it this season, there’s too much work to be done. They haven’t got the quality.

They were decent against Burnley, but it ends up 2-2 and they need a penalty in the last minute. Their best two players are Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha, they cannot afford to be missed.

He still hasn’t won back-to-back games in the league, nearly a year in. That’s unthinkable for a club like Man Utd. Unthinkable.

I just wish he would change it every now and then and adapt to the personnel he’s got available. It’s worrying because he doesn’t know his best team, the back three don’t even play together every week. He’s been there a year, that’s a big, big worry.

He would have been a perfect fit for Chelsea. They’ve got world-class wing-backs in Reece James and Malo Gusto, they’ve got the best holding midfield player in the league in Moises Caicedo. It would fit the players.

‘Next few weeks crucial for Arsenal’s title hopes’

It’s a hard week for Arsenal.

I thought they played really well against Nottingham Forest, a solid result. The performance showed their depth. No Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice was a sub, Martin Odegaard had to go off – it just showed their quality.

Sunday 21st September 4:00pm


Kick off 4:30pm

If they get through these next couple of weeks, I see them as the team. They are the ones. If they get through these next couple of games, you go advantage Arsenal. They have got ample quality to win the league.

They were very good against Liverpool. That’s the most comfortable I’ve seen an Arsenal team at Anfield in 20 years. If it had ended 0-0 we would be saying ‘who is going to touch Arsenal this season?’. Liverpool didn’t look like scoring for toffee and then Dominik Szoboszlai scores a worldie from nothing.

‘Arsenal style suits Madueke’

Noni Madueke needs to keep on performing, it’s only just started.

Arsenal play a certain way, he’s been positive, but the way Arsenal play compared to Chelsea will suit him.

Arsenal move the ball quicker, it goes into his feet quicker and then he’s one-vs-one in a flash. Chelsea are slower, by the time the ball is moved out to the winger the other side have doubled up. Arsenal don’t do that.

He’s done outstanding so far – his goal for England against Serbia was really good – better than what I thought. But this has got to go on for the rest of the season. So far, so good.

I don’t buy into the Man City narrative yet. I don’t. I know they beat Man Utd 3-0, scored good goals, but I still felt on the break they looked weak. They don’t have the stability.

‘Teams are getting at Liverpool’

I’m unsure about Liverpool. They should be mid-table. They’ve been gifted six points.

They never looked like scoring against Arsenal, Newcastle last kick of the game, then Burnley a penalty in stoppage time. What Hannibal Mejbri is doing there I do not know. You could take six points off Liverpool and no one would have argued. No one would say ‘oh that’s a bit harsh, they were bang unlucky’. All three should have ended up as draws, and they would be mid-table.

I’m not convinced yet. There is a lot of work for Arne Slot to do. I don’t think this Florian Wirtz one is working. I like Wirtz, a terrific player, but teams are sitting back against Liverpool and it’s so claustrophobic for him. Their midfield three, for me, won them the league last year. I thought Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai were outstanding for long parts, dominating midfields – I don’t see that this season. Teams are getting at Liverpool.

Alexander Isak has got to come in, you can have all the best players in the world but if they don’t gel, it doesn’t work. So they could be mid-table, but you could also say they haven’t started playing yet and they have won every game. That’s the sign of a very good team.

‘Emery can turn Villa around’

It’s not like Aston Villa have been unlucky, you can’t say they have been peppering opposition goals and been unlucky not to score. It’s a slow burner. It’s shocked me, I thought they would be right up there. It’s worrying times.

They will be okay because I think the manager is outstanding, but they have been caught behind. They didn’t bring in a forward, Ollie Watkins looks lost. Hopefully one comes off his backside and he goes on a run but Villa don’t look like scoring and that’s the worry.

They don’t look right. A lot of stuff happened in the market – clubs spent, Villa didn’t. Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were taken away, goals have dried up. And these are players that can make chances for other people as well, they aren’t getting those anymore. I look at that Villa team and it doesn’t inspire me.

I’m a big fan of Unai Emery, and so if anyone can turn it around, he can.