Maybe for the primary time in his tenure, a 3-4-2-1 labored properly for . Not his personal particularly; extra the truth that supervisor additionally chooses to deploy that system.
Whereas Amorim’s iteration has been the topic of loads of debate, Glasner’s has usually been praised, but it surely was the Portuguese who got here out because the victor this time round as United secured a 2-1 win over the Eagles courtesy of targets from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount.
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Amorim got here into the sport beneath loads of scrutiny after sticking to his formation within the dismal loss to Everton regardless of the Toffees having 10 males, whereas Glasner enjoys full backing at Palace after delivering the primary trophy within the membership’s historical past with the FA Cup win final yr.
However whereas any formation and all ways can have deserves at totally different occasions, this match was not an advert for the deserves of a 3-4-2-1.
A lot has been manufactured from the contrasting types and fortunes of Glasner and Amorim (Motion Photographs by way of Reuters)
The guests nearly obtained off to a dream begin when an extended throw brought on issues within the Palace field, with a superb save from Dean Henderson denying Casemiro from point-blank vary.
Nevertheless, from there United provided valuable little, once more relying – as is usually the case nowadays – on a fortunate break, a counter or a set-piece to create something in assault.
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On the identical time, Palace have been fast to create their very own alternatives, the house crowd gaining loads of encouragement as Jean-Philippe Mateta discovered the side-netting earlier than dragging an effort huge a couple of minutes later, the Frenchman having gone clear by means of after a lucky ricochet off Leny Yoro.
Mateta knew he ought to have opened the scoring however he didn’t want to attend lengthy to take action anyway, successful a penalty and changing it not as soon as however twice after a VAR evaluation confirmed he touched the ball twice on the primary effort.
Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring after spurning a few good openings for the hosts (Getty Photographs)
It was at least Palace deserved and Selhurst Park was buoyant at half-time, the followers clearly believing they might earn one more dwelling win in opposition to United.
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Nevertheless, the sport was turned on its head throughout the first 20 minutes of the second half, with two intelligent free-kick routines bearing fruit for the guests.
The assists for each got here from Bruno Fernandes. The primary noticed a clipped ball into the trail of Zirkzee, who took it down earlier than lashing a superb half-volley in for the equaliser, earlier than the Portuguese laid off a intelligent cross for Mount to rifle within the winner low at Henderson’s close to put up.
The targets informed the story of a frantic, frenetic match through which neither facet was totally in a position to take management, with each unable to settle in midfield whereas being weak to counters all through.
Joshua Zirkzee’s sensible equaliser gave United an unlikely lifeline within the second half (Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
Glasner’s 3-4-2-1 labored properly for Amorim as a result of going through the identical system allowed the Portuguese to cover the deficiencies in his personal, with the dearth of management for both facet in midfield which means no workforce was in a position to dominate, even when Palace had the higher probabilities within the first half and United did within the second.
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The swap in game-state – coupled with the truth that all three targets got here from set-pieces, with a number of the most notable probabilities additionally coming from fortunate breaks and free balls – illustrates the weaknesses of the respective methods, ones which may make it tough to regulate midfield and create sustained stress, with strikers remoted at one finish and defenders sometimes having an excessive amount of to do on the different.
Whereas Mateta was spectacular, it’s notable how usually he’s tasked with holding up play whereas remoted, whereas at occasions, Zirkzee’s efficiency conjured up reminiscences of Rasmus Hojlund, with the Dutchman a passenger within the first half, too remoted and failing to carry it up or progress play on quite a lot of events (earlier than an admittedly sensible equaliser, after he which he noticeably improved).
In defence, United struggled with Palace’s sweeping counters within the first half, a last-ditch problem from Luke Shaw required to forestall it going 2-0, whereas Palace have been unable to regain management as soon as they discovered themselves 2-1 down.
Mason Mount scored the eventual winner from a well-worked free-kick routine (Getty Photographs)
Within the centre of the park, each midfields seemed fully overrun at occasions when out of possession, whereas there have been usually too few choices forward of them once they had the ball.
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And United’s issues proceed at wing-back too, with Diogo Dalot providing valuable little in assault and Amad presently wasted there regardless of being the best choice within the place.
It might have led to an intriguing spectacle for the impartial but it surely was considerably unimpressive by way of high quality, with the match hinging on particular person moments from set-pieces slightly than high-quality attacking from both facet.
It issues little at this level for Glasner, the Austrian undoubtedly over-performing with this squad and himself highlighting squad depth points in his post-match convention, with the distinction in Palace’s play when Adam Wharton got here off for Will Hughes a notable difficulty.
Regardless of their current performances, the win took United as much as seventh within the Premier League desk (Getty Photographs)
Nevertheless it stays a pertinent difficulty for Amorim, who secured simply his thirteenth victory after simply over a yr in cost.
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He just lately said that United will go into the switch market searching for new choices at wing-back, and he would possibly properly have seen the archetype this afternoon in Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell, the duo each wanting equally as snug in defence as they did harmful in assault.
Elsewhere, Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is a rumoured switch goal for the Purple Devils and at occasions it feels as if the Eagles’ 3-4-2-1 works higher than United’s merely due to him, with the guests not possessing a participant along with his willingness and skill to select the ball up in tight areas and advance play.
Whether or not Amorim will get the time wanted to develop a profitable, free-flowing model of the 3-4-2-1 that brings success stays to be seen, however he’ll want some main signings if he’s to take action.
One factor is for certain in that the Portuguese actually gained’t deviate from his chosen system – based mostly on the proof of at this time, that could possibly be unhealthy information for his long-term future.