Manchester United are still using six-year-old tactic to trouble Man City - but Ruben Amorim has a plan

Maybe there will come a time when Manchester United stop being a counter-attacking team, but for now Ruben Amorim is having to lean into an approach that has become the go-to tactical blueprint for Old Trafford bosses.

Every new man steps into the dugout with designs of upgrading this side into one capable of dominating matches technically, but that is easier said than done. United still thrive in the open spaces of transitions and turnovers. Give them the ball with a set defence to break down and they are unlikely to find an answer.

On derby day, United are still playing under Ruben Amorim as they played under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. If anything, Solskjaer's squad was even better equipped to strike on the break, which is why his record against Pep Guardiola was so good.

Amorim had won both of his previous meetings with Guardiola this season but the more instructive one was probably the success with former club Sporting in the Champions League in November. They rode their luck in the first 35 minutes but ended up winning 4-1.

The day after, one United employee remarked that it had reminded them of how Solskjaer would set up against City. It was a masterclass in transitions. Defending deep and waiting for your moment to spring forward. Led by Viktor Gyokeres, Sporting were ruthless when they had the chance to pick City apart and expose the kind of flaws other teams have since taken advantage of.

After that win, having already agreed to take over at Old Trafford, Amorim suggested he couldn't replicate those tactics to bring success to United.

“What I can tell you is that this doesn't mean anything in particular - don't take anything from this," he said. "We cannot transport one reality to another. Manchester United cannot