"When I came here last season, I understood maybe I don't have the players to play well in that system, but it was the beginning of a process. We were trying to build an identity. Today is a different moment. We don't have a lot of players, and we need to adapt, so they understand why we are changing. It is not because of the pressure of you guys [media], or the fans."
"When you [media] talk about changing the system all the time, I cannot change because the players will understand I'm changing because of you and I think that is the end for the manager. When we are playing well in our system, that is the moment to change. We are going to become a better team because when all the players return, we are not going to play with three defenders all the time."
Ruben Amorim moved from a back three with wing-backs to an orthodox back four with two holding midfielders against Newcastle United, a setup that became effectively a back six late as the team preserved a 1-0 win and recorded only their second clean sheet of the season. The switch forms part of an intended tactical flexibility, introduced once squad performance and circumstances allowed adaptation rather than in response to external pressure. Amorim framed the earlier use of three defenders as the start of a process to build identity, and cited player availability and injuries — seven senior absentees and Mason Mount doubtful — as drivers for change.
Read at www.bbc.com
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