In the FA Cup third round match between Arsenal and Manchester United, United's head coach Amorim finally demonstrated his true coaching prowess. Facing a strong Arsenal team, he meticulously planned highly targeted tactics that allowed the team to respond freely on the field. Even when Dalot was unexpectedly sent off in the game, Amorin remained calm and made a series of precise adjustments, successfully helping ten-man United eliminate Arsenal, who were second in the league, reigniting hopes for United's revival.
Previously, in the away game against Liverpool, Amorim adopted a high-pressure tactic, delivering United's best performance this season. As a result, some United fans believed that in the FA Cup match against Arsenal, United should continue with the previous tactics, suppressing the opponent with high morale and not allowing Arsenal to pass comfortably. However, Amorim did not adopt this suggestion. After the start of the game, United's overall defense deeply retreated and did not actively engage in high-pressure tactics. Amorim knew that Arsenal's overall passing rhythm and counter-pressing ability were superior to Liverpool's. If they rashly adopted high-pressure tactics, it would leave gaps at the back and create attacking space for Arsenal.
The facts proved that Amorim's tactical arrangements were effective. Under United's tight defensive system, Arsenal's offensive options were limited, forcing them to resort to crossing tactics, which is not what Havertz is good at. Therefore, Havertz missed several excellent scoring opportunities in this game. Previously, when Amorim first coached United, there were doubts about his lack of tactical adjustment ability, sticking to the 343 formation. Now it seems that the previous arrangements were more to familiarize himself with the characteristics and abilities of United's players. Now, he has finally revealed his true strength.
When Dalot was sent off after two yellow cards turned into one red, Amorim did not immediately make personnel adjustments. He still believed that the players on the field had enough physical fitness to cope with Arsenal's impact. After 80 minutes of play, he decisively made substitutions, bringing on Diawara to maintain the threat upfront, while sending on young trainee Collier to enhance midfield interception and vitality, rather than choosing the more experienced Casemiro. It was Collier's extensive running that effectively compensated for the disadvantage of playing with one less man, avoiding United from falling into a passive situation.
After United dragged the game into extra time, whether in terms of morale or desire to win, the scales of victory have already tilted towards United. The current United can adopt targeted tactics when facing strong teams, making it difficult for powerful opponents to gain too much advantage. However, when facing mid-to-lower table teams with dense defenses, the problem of poor offensive efficiency may be exposed again, which is probably a challenge that United will find difficult to solve in the short term.