Ruben Amorim is ignoring the elephant in the room at Manchester United

In Ruben Amorim's brutally honest press conference after Manchester United's latest Premier League defeat, there was one glaring omission from the subjects discussed. It covered culture, embarrassment, standards and what needs to change.

But there, sitting in the corner, was the elephant in the room. Is this system ever going to work in English football? And perhaps more importantly, is this style ever going to work for United?

Amorim has made it abundantly clear he has no plans to abandon his 3-4-2-1, so it has become the forgotten issue. There is no point asking about it when you know what the answer is going to be. And there is evidence that three-man defences can succeed here. Antonio Conte did it with Chelsea, and Vitor Pereira has had moderate success with Wolves this season.

But the version Amorim has delivered to domestic audiences so far is slow, predictable and defensive. It is simple to play against because the build-up is easy to read, and the pace of the games doesn't allow enough players to get forward. In European contests, when the pace is slower, when both teams seek possession, and pressing systems aren't always as intense, Amorim's United have time to get their structure right.

That isn't happening against Premier League teams. In the league under Amorim, United have won just six of their 25 games, losing 13 of them. It's two-thirds of a season, and the form record reads like that of a team battling relegation. Add in cup games and United lost to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, beat Leicester City at Old Trafford in the FA Cup, and had a penalty shoot-out win against Arsenal and a defeat against Fulham.

It is a dreadful record that contrasts sharply with the Europa League performances. On Sunday, Amorim