Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim doubled down on his controversial tactical approach on Thursday, declaring that ‘not even the Pope’ could persuade him to change his preferred formation.
The statement came at the end of another turbulent week at Old Trafford. United are reeling from a bruising Manchester derby defeat to City at the Etihad, leaving the club’s season in further turmoil.
Ruben Amorim says not even the Pope could persuade him to change his controversial formation 🤔❌ pic.twitter.com/IEF67xfaHe
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 19, 2025
Amorim jokes amid serious questions
Pressed about the billionaire’s surprise visit, Amorim attempted to defuse the situation with humor.
“He was offering me a new contract,” the former Sporting
Lisbon boss quipped, despite his side having managed just one win from their opening four Premier League matches and crashing out of the EFL Cup to League Two side Grimsby.
But the questions soon turned more serious. With United struggling to generate consistent performances, Amorim was asked whether Ratcliffe had suggested he should consider abandoning his much-criticized 3-4-2-1 formation.
His response was emphatic.
“No, no, no,” Amorim insisted. “No one. Not even the Pope will change… This is my job. This is my responsibility. This is my life. So, I will not change that.”
Why Amorim refuses to budge
The 39-year-old coach has faced mounting criticism for his tactical rigidity, but his reasoning for sticking to his system has remained consistent.
He believes caving to outside pressure would undermine his authority in the dressing room.
“If I’m a player and I have a coach that, with a lot of pressure and [people] all around the world saying ‘you need to change the system,’ and he says ‘I’m going to change,’ they will look at me in a different way,” Amorim explained.
“Everything is important when you think about the impact that a decision is going to have on the team. I’m doing things my way. I hope to have the time to change, but it will be an evolution.”
Amorim’s stance leaves him under immense scrutiny heading into a pivotal run of fixtures.
United host Chelsea at Old Trafford this weekend, before clashes against Brentford and newly-promoted Sunderland.
