Jaap Stam: “Ruben Amorim’s tactics make it difficult for Manchester United strikers”
Former Dutch star Jaap Stam has bluntly pointed out that current Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim’s soccer philosophy does not allow the team’s strikers to perform at the level they should. According to Stam, Amorim’s tactical style has limited the space for United’s strikers to perform, making it difficult for them to show their abilities in matches.
Currently, United are ranked only 13th in the Premier League and have scored only 37 goals this season, a figure that is even less than Tottenham Hotspur (55 goals) and Wolves (40 goals), who are behind them. Head coach David Amorim has publicly stated that the club did everything possible to bring in a new striker during the winter transfer window, but ultimately failed to do so. Meanwhile, several of United’s leading attackers – Marcus Rashford, Anthony and Jadon Sancho – have all been loaned out to other teams, further weakening the team’s attacking firepower.
In an interview with Swedish website Makthavare.se, Stam made it clear that the root of the problem is not the players themselves, but whether Amorim’s way of playing suits these players. He singled out Rasmus Holjunde, the £72million striker who finally broke his goal drought against Leicester City after 22 hours and 19 minutes of “goal drought”.
“I think it’s Amorim’s tactical system that’s hindering Holzhund’s development,” Stam said. ”We don’t know exactly how the coach wants to use him, but judging from the game, it’s clear that Holzhund doesn’t have a lot of chances to touch the ball, and he’s rarely involved in the team’s overall attack. ”
This is a very tricky situation for a striker. If he can’t receive the ball in the box and also doesn’t have enough support from crosses, then it’s hard for him to show his scoring ability. “A good striker needs to have enough opportunities to prove himself, otherwise how can you know his true level?” Stam added.
Despite United’s problems on the attacking end, Amorim remains optimistic about Marcus Rashford’s performance at Aston Villa. The 27-year-old striker scored twice in last weekend’s game to help Aston Villa progress to the FA Cup semi-finals. With his excellent form, Rashford was called up by England national team boss Thomas Tuchel and made his debut in two World Cup qualifiers in March.
However, Stam lamented Rashford’s failure to become a long-term centerpiece for United. “I was really sorry to see Rashford leave United to join Aston Villa. I always thought he would be a stalwart of United for many years to come,” Stam admitted, ‘but in my opinion he didn’t reach the heights of a ’United legend’. He left too soon to really leave his mark.”
Looking back on Rashford’s career, Stam noted that there weren’t many seasons where Rashford really excelled. “At a certain point in his career, especially during Eric Ten Hag’s reign, he had a real breakthrough. At that time he was scoring a lot of goals and posing a threat to every defense. He then signed a new contract and everyone expected him to keep it up. But to be a United legend you need to be at the top level for seven, eight or even nine seasons and that’s the measure of a legend.”
Stam’s point is straightforward: it’s not that United’s strikers are incapable, it’s that the tactical system prevents them from playing to their full potential. Whether it is Holjunde or once Rashford, they all need a more suitable environment for their characteristics to show their talent. Stam’s words are undoubtedly a wake-up call for the future of Manchester United: if the team wants to return to the peak, not only do they need to bring in more outstanding players, but they also need to adjust their tactical style to create more opportunities for the strikers. Otherwise, United’s offensive woes will continue.
