THE wait is over.
Ruben Amorim is set to take charge of his first game as Manchester United head coach this Sunday when he leads his troops to face Ipswich at Portman Road.
Fans of the Red Devils and neutrals alike will be intrigued to see how the Portuguese tactician fares in his first managerial outing on English shores but what should Dream Team managers expect going forward?
It’s all eyes on Amorim in Gameweek 12[/caption]
Erik ten Hag’s version of this Man United side was flawed in many ways but several players have thrived in Dream Team across the first eleven Gameweeks of the season.
Andre Onana (£4m), Noussair Mazraoui (£3.8m), Diogo Dalot (£4.2m), Bruno Fernandes (£6.1m) and Alejandro Garnacho (£4.1m) are all among the top seven assets in their respective positions at the time of writing.
But which players will flourish under Amorim’s watch?
The former Sporting CP coach is likely to employ his preferred 3-4-3 formation, making use of wing-backs.
If Mazraoui is deployed as the right wing-back then there’s every chance that will lead to increased attacking returns for the 27-year-old.
The Morocco international has racked up a whopping 91 points already this season via five clean sheets and an unmatched tally (in his position) of 55 tackles, not to mention 13 bonus points.
Add in more time in the final third with greater attacking responsibilities and he could go to another level.
Mazraoui is seemingly a lock at right wing-back but it will be interesting to see who fulfils the role on the opposite flank in the long run.
Dalot will be hopeful of a spot in his compatriot’s starting XI but it will be interesting to see whether Amorim eventually opts to convert one of the squad’s wingers into a wing-back.
It’s not unthinkable, for example, that Garnacho might get some minutes in the role in the near future.
Such a move would mean more defensive duties for the Argentine youngster and perhaps a reduced goal threat, which would negatively impact his Dream Team viability.
However, if Amorim considers Garnacho worthy of a regular starting spot in his front three there could be plenty of points on offer.
Only superstar forwards Erling Haaland (£8.6m) and Mohamed Salah (£7.3m) have registered more shots on target than Garnacho so far this season; Amorim will surely want to maintain that level of threat in the final third throughout his first few weeks as Old Trafford boss at the very least.
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Club captain Fernandes is currently Dream Team’s most in-form player having plundered 61 points across the last three Gameweeks!
The Portugal international generally operates best as a central advanced playmaker but such a role doesn’t really exist in Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation.
With the wing-backs encouraged to offer width high up the pitch, the two central midfielders are generally more combative types, tasked with recovering the ball and playing through the middle third.
The long-term vision probably features Kobbie Mainoo (£3.1m) and Manuel Ugarte (£2.8m) as partners in the middle of the park.
This would result in Fernandes being deployed in the front three but in what capacity remains to be seen.
It may be that he’s given a partial free role to create in more familiar areas, with a slight preference for the half-space closer to the right flank.
Broadly speaking, the 30-year-old should be one of the main beneficiaries if Amorim is able to spark improvements across the board – his individual creative output is up there with the best players in Europe in recent years.
Dream Team’s form player[/caption]
One player Man United fans will desperately be hoping ascends to another level under the new regime is Rasmus Hojlund (£3.9m).
Viktor Gyokeres’ widely-heralded form up front was the defining aspect of Amorim’s successful Sporting side.
The former Coventry striker has scored 66 goals in 68 games since his transfer to the Portuguese giants, including a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City a few days before the international break.
Nobody is expecting Hojlund to suddenly morph into one of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers but if Amorim is able to mould United into a dynamic attacking force then more and more Dream Team bosses will surely be tempted by the Danish focal point leading the line.
Injury problems may scupper some plans in Gameweek 12 but Amorin’s hand will be revealed to some extent and gaffers should pay careful attention.
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