Last season hurt: 15th, and a final lost. No Europe, tighter budget, one big buy—Matheus Cunha. The question bites now: can Manchester United open with wins while the window ticks?
Arsenal first (17 Aug). A test, not a verdict. United’s recent joy against them is thin, but Amorim’s plan thrives on big-occasion focus.
Survive their first surge, press their second pass, and punish restarts. A point is par; a smash-and-grab is the dream.
Fulham away (24 Aug) offers oxygen. United’s record there is kind, and structure travels: narrow front three, wing-backs ready to spring. Burnley at home (30 Aug) is obligation.
Win with control, not chaos. Two victories from these three is the runway; anything less, the derby grows heavier.
City away, then Chelsea at home: spectacles that compress time. Hurry, don’t rush. Here, transitions are currency and set pieces are tax.
Selections? Amorim’s 3-4-3, simplified. Cunha as the connective ten behind the nine, Bruno Fernandes stepping back to orchestrate. Wing-backs for meters and menace.
Double pivot to screen, step, circulate. If Bryan Mbeumo arrives, width gains teeth; if not, coach the runs, not just the names. Back line and keeper likely unchanged—trust repetition until reinforcements land.
Mirror supporters’ need: belonging and purpose. Play like a group, not a collection. Run together, recover together, celebrate together. Do that, and August bends.
Prediction: seven to nine points from five—enough momentum to quiet the noise and buy time for smarter transfer moves while the offer lasts.