Sean Dyche slams Ruben Amorim's philosophy and tells Man Utd he'd win more games as boss

Sean Dyche claims he would make a better Manchester United manager than Ruben Amorim - pointing to his trusted 4-4-2 formation as the key to success. Despite being known for his no-nonsense, old-school style, the former Everton and Burnley boss believes he could excel at a club like United if given the chance.

"I may get hammered for it, but I bet I could win more games with that squad playing a 4-4-2," Dyche told ex-England manager Sam Allardyce on the . "People keep talking about his [Amorim's] philosophy and it isn't working. It's fine getting to five or 10 games, but once you get to 20 games, it clearly isn't working."

After nine months in the Old Trafford hotseat, Amorim has won just 16 of his 43 matches in charge, giving him a win rate of just 37 per cent - only slightly higher than Dyche's career average of 34 per cent. He has also struggled to implement the fluid, high-octane style that defined his Sporting CP side, with United's squad finding it difficult to adapt to Amorim's three-at-the-back system.

READ MORE: Man Utd learn simple truth behind Arsenal loss as Manchester City position is undeniable

READ MORE: Wayne Rooney reveals reason for career change after 'not being given a chance'

In a bid to address this, United have splashed over £200million on a brand-new front three this summer and spent £26m in January on Patrick Dorgu, a wing-back suited to Amorim's style. Dyche believes this is evidence that United don't currently have the squad to play Amorim's way, though he praised the club and its head coach for sticking to their principles.

"I might be wrong because they've brought in three big hitters this summer, so it wouldn't work with the players they had, but maybe the new players will do better," he said.

"On the one hand, I like the fact they're sticking with it, and it is Man United. You're under massive pressure to get it right. But on the other hand, you wouldn't normally survive that situation. Amorim's been given more time than most.

"People forget that in Pep's first season, he made so many changes to the squad and played so many formations and finished 13 points off the top, nobody blinked. If he was at Real Madrid, he would have been sacked. But he learned and won the Premier League the next season."

Dyche's record in the Premier League demonstrates his ability to overperform with limited resources. At Burnley, he consistently transformed modest squads into disciplined, competitive teams, steering them clear of relegation and even pushing close to European qualification.

His teams were always difficult to beat, well-organised, and capable of exceeding expectations despite financial and squad constraints.

At Everton, Dyche faced a different set of challenges, navigating financial problems while maintaining competitiveness and stability. His pragmatic, hard-working approach allowed him to keep teams solid and focused, even when expectations were low.

Yet despite these achievements, Dyche has never been given the opportunity to manage an elite club capable of playing expansive, attacking football. It's hard to say whether his confidence in successfully implementing a 4-4-2 system at United is entirely justified, but his track record of achieving under limiting circumstances speaks volumes.

The Red Devils spent much of last season perilously close to the relegation zone, losing 18 times and finishing 15th in the table. Amorim will hope for much better this season, but despite an improved performance, his United side started the new season with a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal.

Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.