Ruben Amorim is under no illusion it will take time before his Manchester United side are capable of playing the way he wants them to. With two games a week for the foreseeable future, there is little time to work on tactics and shape on the training ground, with the new head coach instead using matches to experiment with his side and bring players up to speed.
Across the first two matches, some players have shown huge signs of promise under their new boss, while others have struggled to adapt to the new responsibilities bestowed upon them.
None have started quite like Noussair Mazraoui. Although United have failed to keep a clean sheet in either of their first two matches under Amorim, the Moroccan has excelled as a versatile option at the back, and put in another impressive performance as makeshift centre-back against Bodo/Glimt.
This season, he has already played in both full-back roles, as a wing-back, a centre-back and as an attacking midfielder. Amorim might not move him around as much as Erik ten Hag did, but there would be few concerns if he was ever repurposed into a central midfield role either. “He’s an incredible player,” Amorim said after the win over Bodo/Glimt. “He’s our future. He always looks fresh, even if we have to be careful with every game. He’s the kind of player we need.”
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