Jamie Carragher has suggested that Liverpool’s dedication to a four-man defence was crucial in the decision not to pursue Ruben Amorim, who was recently appointed as Erik ten Hag’s replacement at Manchester United.
The Reds had previously considered Amorim when searching for someone to fill Jurgen Klopp’s shoes. Klopp’s philosophy, which has been a staple of the club for nearly nine years, is reflected throughout the club, right down to the academy teams.
Amorim’s preference for a three-man backline was viewed as a potential hurdle due to Liverpool’s hesitation to change an established system. Consequently, the Reds shifted their focus to Arne Slot, whose tactics at Feyenoord were more aligned with Klopp’s ethos.
This strategic choice promoted a seamless transition and maintained consistency at Anfield, with Slot integrating effortlessly. Carragher penned in The Telegraph: “My suspicion is that one of the reasons Liverpool favoured Slot over Amorim last summer is because the Dutchman prefers the more traditional four at the back, so the transition was easier for the squad he inherited.
Under Jurgen Klopp, the style of the first team was mirrored down to academy level to ensure those who made the step up were familiar with the playing patterns.”
Despite this, Amorim’s unique formation and approach have earned him considerable success early on in his managerial career, including ending Sporting’s 19-year drought for a league title and adding several other trophies.
Over at Anfield, Liverpool’s squad isn’t cut out for a back three system, but it’s a different story at United where altering the defensive tactics might just be the key to turning their season around. Gary Neville is among those who believe that tweak could help them improve on their poor start.
He said: “I have thought for a number of months that, looking at the players that United have, they’d maybe be better suited to going three at the back. Just purely because of the lack of a centre-back pairing and the full-backs look better going forward than they do defensively, so maybe that could happen.
Maybe that might give them a bit more comfort because it would give them an extra body at the back and players would be in a system where they got more support. That’s something I’ve thought for a few months, whether that’s the right way to go I’m not sure.”
