Ruben Amorim has been left with a mixed impression of the squad he has inherited from Erik ten Hag as he prepares for his first game in charge of Manchester United this weekend.
The Red Devils face a potential banana skin on Sunday when they travel to Portman Road to face an Ipswich Town side managed by their former assistant coach Kieran McKenna.
Amorim put his first team players through their paces this week in an effort to get them up to speed with his preferred 3-4–3 formation.
According to the Sun, Ten Hag’s successor was shocked by the lack of intensity and speed exhibited by a group of players who have been partly responsible for a hugely underwhelming start to the new season.
Amorim has already identified several players who are unlikely to last under his tenure and former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson fears Casemiro is in that group.
‘I think the whole Manchester United squad will benefit from Ruben Amorim’s arrival,’ he told Paddy Power
‘I don’t do stats, but I bet you that all their stats will be better this weekend than they have been [all season]. It’s just one of those things.
Ruben Amorim oversaw training this week at Carrington
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Mark Lawrenson fears Casemiro may not fit in under Ruben Amorim
‘It’s going to take a while to decide how they’re going to play. He obviously wants to press but they won’t be able to do it straight away because they’re not used to it.
‘You’d look at Casemiro and think that if they’re going to press and get up the field quickly, that won’t be his ideal way of playing and I think he might struggle.
‘He has played better of late, but they’ve got a new manager, and he might decide to drop him because he doesn’t have the legs.’
On a more positive note, Lawrenson, a cultured centre-half in his prime, believes Amorim’s appointment could see Harry Maguire handed a lifeline.
‘If Harry Maguire knocked on Rúben Amorim’s door, he’ll have a look at him and see what he’s got,’ he said. ‘With every player – and there’s lots of them – he has to look at each one, but in the meantime, he must get results.
‘If Harry Maguire plays as the middle of Amorim’s back three, he’ll be comfortable. It’s just that he doesn’t have that half a yard of pace.
‘Amorim might think he can put him in the middle with two guys either side who have legs and see how they go.’
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