Man United head coach Ruben Amorim comes out fighting amid ongoing criticism of his tactics

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has insisted that he is not "fixated" on keeping to a 3-4-2-1 formation amid ongoing criticism of his tactics.

Amorim's formation has been the subject of much debate during his time in English football, with many questioning whether it is suitable for the Red Devils considering the players that are available for selection.

Former Man United captain Gary Neville was critical of Amorim's tactics during Monday's Premier League clash with Everton at Old Trafford.

Despite the Toffees being reduced to 10 men in the first period, Amorim kept to a back three, and there were sometimes five players behind the ball when Man United were chasing the match against David Moyes's side.

"You have to have urgency and make the pitch as big as possible, and you have to put as many players as possible in forward areas," Neville told Sky Sports.

Neville was critical of Amorim's tactics in Man United's home loss to Everton

"Ruben Amorim has a question to answer. Bringing [Diogo] Dalot on over there in front of [Luke] Shaw? I don't quite see it. You have five at the back, why? Embarrassing.

"This should be like the Alamo. Really quick, high-tempo passing side-to-side, getting into good wide areas, putting crosses in, getting bodies in attack, sustaining attacks. It's very slow from United. There is no presence in the box whatsoever."

However, Amorim has insisted that he is "willing" to change his formation during matches.

"We did it against Liverpool, it wasn't with Bryan Mbeumo, it was with [Matheus] Cunha. And it's an option that we have, and nowadays, everyone, I think not only in the English league but in the Portuguese league, in all leagues, there's a great variation in how things are structured," Amorim told DAZN Portugal.

Amorim insists he is "willing" to change his tactics

"We might say it’s a 4-4-2, but five minutes later it’s a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3. And therefore I'm willing to do anything, contrary to what many people think that I'm too fixated on one thing.

"I simply start with a basic foundation, but obviously, we can use it in the future. And we've already thought about that with Bryan [playing central] because he's very strong in transitions.

"I do think it's the best position for him [out wide] because he likes to be hidden, he doesn't like people watching him. He can attack, be more dangerous on one of the flanks, either the right or the left, rather than as a striker, but it's a good option, therefore I'll be able to use it in the future as I did several times at Sporting [Lisbon]."

Man United have a record of five wins, three draws and four defeats from their 12 league matches this season, with 18 points leaving them in 10th spot in the Premier League table.

The Red Devils will be aiming to recover from their home defeat to Everton when they head to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.