The entrant Head coach of Manchester United supervised a masterclass, led by a fit attacker Viktor Gyokeres.

Gyokeres scored a hat-trick, impressing as United fans watched. But he is far from being the only one to remember Sporting’s solid overall performance.

Amorim’s winger star

Lots of intrigue around Ruben Amorim’s arrival is his commitment to playing a defined tactical stylepreferring a 3-4-3 formation.

United have played with three defenders in the past, and Amorim has shown that his tactic can create the best team in England, when executed as planned.

Even though we know United have the staff playing three in defence, United’s options for the wide areas are less clear. A full-back could play there, or United could experiment with a winger in that position.

One of the standout players on the pitch was left back Maximiliano Araujo, who scored Sporting’s second goal just after halftime.

Araujo was a bargain from Mexican club Toluca this summer, with the 24-year-old winger costing just £6million.

He has integrated perfectly into Amorim’s system and demonstrated against City how effective a player can be in his role going forward.

Araujo supported Pedro Goncalves well on the left side and cut back superbly, providing a threat in the center of the field.

He worked tirelessly defensively, blocking two shots, four digs and an interception, also winning two tackles.

This is the kind of effort Ruben Amorim expects from his full-backs, whether it’s a defender or a winger playing that role, he expects them to contribute immensely at both ends of the pitch.

Left-back is the most difficult position to fill

Left-back is the position that will give Ruben Amorim the biggest headache at Manchester United on his debut.

Even if they are in good shape, Luke Shaw or Tyrell Malacia it cannot be relied upon to stay healthy. And these positions demand so much. Shaw would be better suited as a central defender in the Amorim system.

On the other hand, Alejandro Garnacho may lack the defensive discipline to play this role.

Provisionally, we will probably see Noussair Mazraoui on one side and Diogo Dalot on the other.

Ruben Amorim hopes to secure funds in the transfer market to expand his squad, despite claims United could re-sign Alvaro Fernandez to play in this position.

Araujo’s success has shown that it’s not about a big name, it’s about fit, finding a player who can and will stick.

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