‘Bite the bullet’ – Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt warn Ruben Amorim he has to change – but could still end up getting boot

RUBEN AMORIM has been told he will have to bite the bullet and change his style if he wants to keep his job at Manchester United.

The Portuguese coach insisted after the 3-0 derby defeat at the Etihad on Sunday that he will stick by his controversial 3-4-2-1 formation.

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That defeat to Manchester City means the Red Devils have made the worst start to a Prem season since 1992 – with just four points from their first four matches.

Two of United’s famous ‘Class of ‘92’ – Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt – claim the former Sporting Lisbon boss has quickly been worked out.

Both feel the current boss has made them too easy to play against and unless he shakes things up soon he will face the sack.

It isn’t just the manager to blame though – Butt said the current United players are “like robots” and feels there is something “fundamentally wrong” at Old Trafford.

Amorim is coming under increasing pressure though and Butt told ‘The Good the Bad and the Football’ podcast it cannot continue like this.

He said:  “Forget the system for a minute, the players are not at the level they need to be, not quick enough, not aggressive enough.

“The two lads in midfield, Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, they’ve not got the legs to do it in a three, let alone a two

“If he wants to get results and keep his job in the long run, he is going to have to bite the bullet and change a bit – otherwise they’ll keep losing games.

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“You look at Pep Guardiola he’s got a philosophy that is the best anyone football has ever seen, even as a United fan. But even he changes.

“So he brought Jeremy Doku off the left and put him in the middle – because everyone knows how United will play.”

Butt’s old team-mate Scholes says Amorim’s refusal to change is making it easy for the bosses he goes up against.  

He said: “You talk about his philosophy, his style of play, the way he wants to play.

“There’s so many clever coaches in England and around the world, they work it out quite easily. They know exactly how United are going to play every week.

“When the team sheet comes through an hour before the game you always wonder how your opponents are going to play, five at the back, four at the back?

“With Amorim, you know, everybody knows. It’s easy to play against and easy to work out as the coaches are that clever. Anyone in the Premier League can beat us.”

But Scholes is unsure that they have the squad to turn things around – even if Amorim does revert to a more traditional system.

‘They’re like robots’

He added: “I’m not sure, even if he did change it and play a 4-3-3 – that the players are quite good enough.”

“In our day we had many players with experience, you almost didn’t need the manager.

“Now there’s nobody in there to take responsibility, there’s experienced players there but nobody gets a grip of it.”

Butt added: “They’re like robots.”

The ex Newcastle midfielder was also concerned that there was no fight from his old team – even when they were three goals down.

He added: “The weird thing for me was nobody got booked, it’s a derby you’re getting the piss taken out of you. It’s 3-0 and not a tackle gone in.

‘Something fundamentally wrong’

“There’s something fundamentally wrong at that football club.”

Meanwhile Scholes also took aim at the recruitment at Old Trafford over the summer which was led by director of football Jason Wilcox and chief exec Omar Berrada.  

More than £220million was spent on three forwards and a goalkeeper – yet the same old problems are still there.

Scholes said: “Over the summer they bought two No10s – Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo – did they need two when they’ve got Mason Mount as well?

“It’s the same midfield as last year, he knew he didn’t have legs – so address it.

“We needed a top class goalkeeper and midfielder and both have been neglected.”

Scholes slams keeper decision

Belgian Senne Lammens came in as the new keeper for £18.2m with Andre Onana being sent out on loan to Trabzonspor.

They opted against a move for Aston Villa’s World Cup winner Emi Martinez on deadline day.

And Scholes is baffled as to why they did not move for Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma – who ended up across town at City – calling it a “criminal offence”.

Amorim chose to keep faith with Altay Bayindir ahead of Lammens in the derby and Scholes said: “Incredible – but the price they paid tells me he’s not a top goalkeeper.

“They’ve got big problems in goal. Did it really take until that Grimsby game to realise Onana is not up to it?  

“But Donnarumma is the biggest mistake I can see. As soon as he’s available, give PSG [Paris Saint-Germain] what they want. Look at the size of him – he reminds me of Peter Schmeichel.

“I hope they had a conversation and he said he didn’t want to come. It’s a criminal offence if the head of recruitment wasn’t in for him.

“Look at the size of the f*****. A good keeper can win you 15 points a season. I think he’s the signing of the transfer window.”