IN all seven Manchester United games this season, Ruben Amorim has made a like-for-like change at centre-back.When United fans in the Putney End at Fulham chanted, “Attack, attack, attack” last month, Amorim opted for defend, defend, defend. EPARuben Amorim has broken an unwritten rule in all Man Utd games this season[/caption]EPALeny Yoro and Luke Shaw made way for Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven.Maguire came close to nodding in the winner in that 1-1 draw but the mood music from the away end signalled a shift from United matchgoers towards Amorim.Whatever the score, United operate in his beleaguered 3-4-2-1 system. At Brentford on Saturday, Maguire, Shaw, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot all had a stint in the back three.It is an unwritten rule that a manager never changes his defence in-game unless it is enforced. Amorim has made ten substitutions at centre-back and none of them have been enforced.The chopping and changing at Brentford led to Mason Mount coming on to play on the left wing for the second time this season.Gary Neville said: “You can’t put Mason Mount at left wing-back. I can’t watch Mason Mount play at left wing-back in a football team. I struggle to watch him in his position.“To actually put him out there is absolutely ridiculous.”RYDER CUP 2025 BETTING TIPS, FREE BETS AND LATEST ODDSThe substituting centre-backs sequence dates back well into last season. Amorim took off at least one defender in all but one of United’s final 15 fixtures last season. The exception was the Europa League final, when United scrambled for an attacking game-changer against a compact Tottenham defence that held on for their 1-0 triumph.Until he was restored to the starting XI against Chelsea, Maguire had been reduced to an impact sub, thrown on if United were in need of a goal.Maguire had a bespoke fitness plan in pre-season when the 32-year-old started in one of their four friendlies (when he was substituted at half-time). His workload is being carefully managed into the competitive season.The only match that Maguire has so far played the full 90 minutes was, unsurprisingly, the debacle at Grimsby Town. Maguire’s set piece threat paid off as he equalised late on from a corner.Yet his sudden substitution midway through the second half against Chelsea was illogical. Amorim had mentioned Chelsea’s threat from crosses the day before. With Maguire off the pitch, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah scored from a Reece James cross.Load management is the prime reason behind the constant changes at centre-half. Leny Yoro has been substituted in three of his four starts as the 19-year-old is still filling out.Yoro missed the first four months of last season with a fractured metatarsal, so United are conscious of overplaying him in a more intense league after his time with Ligue 1 Lille.Shaw, 30, has been so injury-prone during his 11 years at United he is now a full-time centre-back as he cannot fulfil the workload of a winger.The England international has played 293 times for United since he arrived from Southampton in 2014 yet has missed an astonishing 334 games.AlamyAt Brentford Leny Yoro was one of the changes made to the core of the defence mid game[/caption]GettyThe decision to play Mason Mount as a wing-back also raised eyebrows[/caption]He is effectively starting for United through experience. Ayden Heaven, the only other available left-footed centre-half, is still raw at 18. Lisandro Martinez, ordinarily a shoo-in on the left side of defence, is still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.Yoro and Shaw were the only two players rested entirely for the debacle at Grimsby. Shaw has completed 90 minutes three times and been substituted three times.The only centre-back who has completed 90 minutes across United’s six league games is De Ligt. De Ligt, 26, is fresher as he missed practically the final two months of last season with a foot injury and then a knee injury.The Dutchman travelled on the post-season tour of Malaysia and Hong Kong to continue his rehabilitation and he lined up in four of United’s five pre-season friendlies.De Ligt switched to the right of the back three against Chelsea and Brentford to maximise his distribution. Like Maguire, he is also handy at attacking set plays. De Ligt has had three attempts on target from inside the box already this season.Erik ten Hag had to use more than 30 different combinations at centre-back in the 2023-24 season amid United’s injury crises, when they recorded 66 separate cases of injury or illness.Ten Hag was not a stickler for in-game changes at centre-half but still changed centre-halves in-game in ten of his final 14 matches in charge of United.Maguire also entered last season with a fitness issue, having suffered a muscle injury that caused him to miss the FA Cup final and European Championship. He only started the first few games as De Ligt did not complete his transfer from Bayern Munich until the week that the Premier League season began.He is now doing well just to complete a game at centre-half.Man City have two No1s... United have three No2sONE of the biggest issues Manchester United had last season was almost every other Premier League side had a better striker, writes Samuel Luckhurst.Now almost every other Premier League side has a better ‘keeper.Apart from Southampton’s sinking ship, the other 18 top-flight teams possessed a more accomplished frontman than Rasmus Hojlund. Jamie Vardy was a fading force but still scored more than twice as many league goals as Hojlund, who eked only four.Benjamin Sesko has not set the world alight and has actually had a worse start to his United career than Hojlund had after six appearances. Yet the bigger problem is up the other end.Ruben Amorim even admitted last week that Altay Bayindir is not United’s outright number one. Bayindir, with his slick side-parting and Louis Vuitton holdall, looks confident when he arrives at a stadium. On the pitch, he is anything but and his parry late on against Chelsea quickened the heart rate of United fans as they held on for three points.Senne Lammens, brought in from Royal Antwerp on deadline day for £18.2million, is already 23 but yet to play for Belgium and was not named among their four ‘keepers in the national team’s squad earlier this month. Antwerp were United’s original feeder club, only United never signed anyone from the Belgian side.United noted that Lammens had one of the highest goals-prevented metrics in Europe last season, made more saves than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top ten leagues and completed the most progressive passes for any goalkeeper under the age of 23 last season.Antwerp’s ground holds 16,144 and Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ ended with their semi-final appearance at the 2018 World Cup. Nothing can prepare Lammens for the scrutiny he will be under when he attempts to fill the goalframe in United colours.Joining United hastened career decline for Andre Onana, forced to flee to Trabzonspor at the age of 29. David de Gea played for a big club in a big league before he took the plunge as a 20-year-old and had an unsettled first year. Fabien Barthez, a World Cup winner, absconded to France after three haphazard years.We do not know if Lammens is good enough for United. We know Bayindir isn’t. He has shipped 28 goals in 16 appearances and United have won eight. Five of those were in the League Cup and the Europa League.Bayindir’s new status as a United starter has failed to convince Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella. Bayindir is still the benchwarmer for the national side.Manchester City have two No.1s and United have three number twos. The goalkeeper is the one position in a team where competition is not required. In all probability, United will go through this entire season without ever settling on an undisputed first choice who their supporters have faith in.A former United ‘keeper playing for a promoted side would be more dependable and experienced than their two matchday ‘keepers. Martin Dubravka only played twice for United and his season-long loan from Newcastle was terminated at the halfway point but he was a shrewd addition by Burnley.Karl Darlow was in net for Leeds in their weekend win at Wolves and was under consideration as a loanee by United before they turned to Dubravka in the summer of 2022. Robin Roefs did not cover himself in glory for Matty Cash’s pot-shot at Sunderland but he has been recognised at Under 21 level by Holland.From the bottom of the ladder up, the case can be made that the incumbent for every team has a superior stopper to United: Jose Sa, Alphonse Areola, Emiliano Martinez, Caoimhin Kelleher, Dubravka, Matz Sels, Bart Verburggen, Nick Pope, Jordan Pickford, Donnarumma, Bernd Leno, Roefs, Robert Sanchez, Dean Henderson, Djordje Petrovic, Guglielmo Vicario, David Raya and Alisson.Not all of them are good enough to be a long-term United No.1 and Sanchez gifted United victory on Saturday. There is scant evidence to suggest that Bayindir is a more stable presence than any of them. For a club with such a storied academy, it is a travesty United never gave Henderson a fair crack of the whip. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is to blame for that after he reneged on a pre-season pledge to install Henderson as No.1 in 2021.United ended up cutting their losses on Henderson by pocketing a meagre £15m up front from Crystal Palace. He was man of the match in their unforgettable FA Cup final triumph in May and pivotal in their second Wembley success against Liverpool in the Community Shield.Henderson has told confidants he would never return to United. If they did come calling, with the promise of a salary hike and a bigger platform to challenge Pickford for the England spot, one suspects Henderson’s head would be turned.Though Palace are still better than United at both ends.