Fara Williams column: What Ruben Amorim can learn from Oliver Glasner & why Jose Mourinho will always be loved at Chelsea
Published 29/09/2025 at 19:02 GMT+1
In her latest exclusive column for TNT Sports, England legend Fara Williams explains what Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim can learn from Oliver Glasner's similar formation at Crystal Palace. Williams also broke down why Chelsea supporters will always have a warm spot for Jose Mourinho ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge in the UEFA Champions League this week.
Highlights: Brentford pile more pressure on Man Utd after incident-packed clash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Former England international Fara Williams will be providing exclusive insight and analysis for TNT Sports for the 2025/26 campaign. In her latest column, she explains how Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim can learn from Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner after the Red Devils' defeat at Brentford, as well as breaking down why Chelsea supporters will always show affection towards Jose Mourinho ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge in the UEFA Champions League. Watch the women's and men's FA Cup, Premier League and UEFA Champions League live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
What Amorim can learn from Glasner...
While Manchester United are struggling with a back three after Saturday's defeat to Brentford, Crystal Palace are using a similar set-up which has taken them to third place, following their dramatic win against Liverpool.
Firstly, I think that Palace’s back three of Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards are better than United's defenders. You could argue that Daniel Munoz is better than Diogo Dalot and I think that Tyrick Mitchell has probably been the most consistent left-back in the Premier League in recent years.
That five has been consistent for Palace, which is always important. The massive difference with United is that they are constantly changing and rotating the whole back five. Ruben Amorim keeps changing the backline before and during games, so he has no consistent balance.
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'Abysmal', 'Insipid' - Cole slams Man Utd performance in Brentford defeat
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You could name Palace’s back five alongside Dean Henderson in goal, and it doesn’t change unless there's an injury. With United, you’re wondering who will start in goal, who's going to be in that back three and who is going to play as the wing-backs.
There's been no consistency. In terms of building those relationships, connections and communication lines, that's something that Amorim has got wrong and Palace have got right. Oliver Glasner has made them a very hard team to break down, they’re in tune with each other and understand their roles better than United's players do.
They have a great balance in midfield with Adam Wharton, who is an unbelievable player, and hopefully Palace will be able to keep hold of him because he controls the game for them.
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Looking up top, we know what to expect from Jean-Philippe Mateta, but I don’t think United have found what works with their front three. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are playing a bit wider, but maybe they need to come more central and help out, so the two-man midfield doesn’t get exposed quite so much.
At United, Amorim is continuously rotating players and rarely going out with the same starting line-up. If you are going to play with a five or a three, you have to make sure that the details are right, but also the connections and personnel. I don't think you can name a United team that's played back-to-back since he's been in charge.
If I compare it to the women's game, I always say that United's team have enjoyed a consistent backline and goalkeeper for the last couple of years. It’s not a coincidence that they have only conceded one goal in the WSL this season, and they’re only a few points behind leaders Chelsea. It’s all about consistency.
... although body language coverage is 'overblown'
The reaction to Amorim's body language on the sidelines has been overblown in my opinion. I used to play in stadiums where there were only up to 2,000 people in attendance and at times you couldn't hear what your manager said unless you went over for a conversation.
These guys play in front of up to 80,000 people every week, so they don’t have time to look at the manager’s reaction, and I very much doubt these players can hear what's being said on the sidelines.
You should already know the details of the game plan beforehand, and it’s all about the manager trusting that the players can execute what they've been preparing for all week. What we’re seeing with Amorim’s body language on the sidelines is a frustrated manager who is thinking that his players aren’t executing his plan on the pitch.
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'We need to do better' - Amorim describes Man Utd performance against Brentford as 'really confused'
Video credit: TNT Sports
When I played, if I made a mistake or the team conceded a goal, my first thought wasn’t to look over to the manager, and I doubt that comes into play in the men’s game.
I'm not sure how much you can do as a manager from the sidelines with everything that goes on - apart from when there are breaks in play.
I've played with managers that don't say much and sit in the dugout. I remember that Hope Powell was a very calm manager and rarely shouted her head off. But during my time under Matt Beard, who was a manager who I absolutely idolised, he was somebody that everyone could hear, but we couldn't always hear what he was saying because he was so passionate.
There was one time when we told him to sit in the stands so we could actually hear what he was saying compared to down on the touchline. We used to laugh about it.
Why Mourinho will always be loved at Chelsea
As a Chelsea fan myself, I will always remember the good times under Jose Mourinho and the success that he brought to the club. The way we won the Premier League and other trophies with him at the helm, I think he will always be a fan favourite, and he knows that too.
Although he managed Manchester United and Tottenham, he knows that Chelsea is his home because he probably had his best memories at the club during his time in England.
I think there's a really good relationship there between Mourinho and the club ahead of his return with Benfica in the UEFA Champions League.
He is the one person I wish I had met. I've spoken to his former players in the past, and they always talk about his man-management skills and the sort of belief he put into the players. He potentially got more out of them than they ever believed possible.
I'd love to pick his brain and see how he works, because I love listening to him in interviews. For me, he's very entertaining and comes across as a nice guy. The fun and charismatic side to him in recent years has probably changed a little bit because he has experienced less success compared to the early part of his managerial career.
But I think he is great for the game in all different ways. He’s a very smart and intelligent person, especially when it comes to football, and you can see and feel his passion for the game, which is something I really like.
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‘That’s going to be explosive’ – Cole previews Mourinho return to Chelsea with Benfica
Video credit: TNT Sports
No room for error for Arsenal in WSL title race
We’ve always known that Arsenal are capable of beating the big teams in one-off games, as they showed on their way to winning the Women's Champions League last season. But the question is, why aren’t they consistent enough to do it in the WSL and really compete with Chelsea?
The game against Aston Villa on the weekend, in which they conceded a last-gasp equaliser in a 1-1 draw at the Emirates, gave us a small glimpse into answering that question. It feels like they just take their foot off the pedal at times.
They dominated the game in terms of possession and chances, but a minor lapse in concentration at a set-piece in the 94th minute saw them come away with one point instead of three, and it's a huge disappointment.
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'Heaviest shirt in world football' - Cole on United's poor form and establishing a new 'culture'
Video credit: TNT Sports
In the WSL, there are not many games to be played, so back-to-back draws already puts them in fifth position and four points behind champions Chelsea. Before they know it, they could quickly fall behind in the title race, so I think Arsenal will be disappointed, especially with the Champions League returning, which means they’ll need to manage the squad during the two-game weeks.
Arsenal possess plenty of depth in their squad, so for manager Renee Slegers, it's about getting it right because the balance of the team doesn’t look great at the moment, and she will need to find a solution very quickly.
Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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