Ruben Amorim has the opposite problem to Erik ten Hag - and that is good news for Manchester United

For so long under Erik ten Hag, Manchester United were considered a team of individuals producing the occasional great moment out of nowhere. At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Ruben Amorim's eighth game in charge, the opposite was almost true.

This was an encouraging performance under Amorim in so many ways. While Tottenham arguably strengthened their team with the inclusion of Pedro Porro and Yves Bissouma, United's five changes weakened their side. Despite the alterations, United were often slick in possession.

Added to the second half at the Etihad on Sunday, it was as comfortable as they have looked in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 shape. Their passing and options on the ball were good. They were able to switch play from right to left regularly and moved the ball smoothly through midfield.

Some of the build-up play was slick and Manuel Ugarte's aggression was a major weapon, regularly restoring possession to the side in red. A roar from the 5,800 visiting fans would greet an attack starting anew in the first half.

However, while United's cohesion was good, their individual play was not. Bruno Fernandes was once again ineffective in the first half; Antony was a passenger, and Rasmus Hojlund was bullied by the imposing Radu Dragusin. Christian Eriksen's quality broke down in the final third, and while the wing-backs helped with the build-up, they were wasteful in attacking areas.

So, a team that spent most of the season playing poorly and being bailed out by individuals played well and failed because of those individuals. Part of that is a result of those changes.

The opportunities for fringe players such as Altay Bayindir, Victor Lindelof, Eriksen, and Antony weakened the collective. Hojlund was the most effective striker but