Ruben Amorim Learns From Man Utd ‘Mistakes’ to Unlock Christian Pulisic

AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim is avoiding the mistakes from his tumultuous time at Manchester United—and that’s great news for Christian Pulisic.

The typically stubborn Amorim took a break from his back three obsession to roll out a 4-4-2 at San Siro on Sunday and instantly reaped the rewards of his decision. Milan secured a dominant 3–0 victory, snapping a three-game winless streak and keeping just a second clean sheet of the season.

Amorim also gave Pulisic the nod for the first time in 2026–27 and the American forward repaid his manager’s trust with a goal just 14 minutes into the clash. It marked the first time Pulisic found the back of the net for the Rossoneri since Dec. 28, 2025.

After the emphatic victory, Amorim gave a candid response to his sudden tactical change after he spent his entire tenure at Old Trafford unwilling to budge from his principles, which ultimately led to his dismissal after just 14 months.

“I can’t repeat my mistakes from Manchester,” he said, via Gazzetta dello Sport. “If we don’t have the characteristics to play a certain way, we have to adapt.”

Perhaps no one in Amorim’s dressing room is benefiting more from the manager’s newfound flexibility than Pulisic.

Pulisic Nearing Much-Needed Resurgence

Christian Pulisic celebrating goal — Christian Pulisic had a brilliant performance on Sunday. | Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan/Getty Images

It’s been a 2026 full of challenges and setbacks for Pulisic. The 28-year-old ended the second half of last season without a goal to his name and eventually lost his place in the XI. Then, he went to the World Cup, where he still failed to find the back of the net in the U.S. men’s national team’s run to the round of 16.

A nagging leg injury that later turned out to be a microfracture only complicated matters, limiting Pulisic’s involvement in both this summer’s showpiece event and Milan’s preseason.

The American quickly found himself pushed to the fringes of Amorim’s plans, spending the first three games of the season firmly on the bench. Amorim later revealed Pulisic was “upset” at his lack of minutes, but the Portuguese boss did not appear too sympathetic to his player’s cause.

But patience paid off for Pulisic, much like Amorim’s formation shift. The USMNT star scored his side’s opening goal at the weekend, created two chances and misplaced just three passes in his 69 minutes on the pitch. He looked free from the shackles of Amorim’s rigid tactics and was able to once again play with freedom—much like the rest of his teammates.

“The players had more freedom,” Amorim said. “In recent games we were a bit too static, stuck.”

It remains to be seen whether Amorim’s back four was a one-off experiment or a permanent shift—he briefly wavered towards the end of his time in Manchester, yet quickly reverted. But it’s hard to ignore the production he got from his biggest names the second he decided to adapt. Perhaps if he took a similar approach at United, he would have won more than just 24 of his 63 matches in charge.

Pulisic Still Needs USMNT Redemption

Christian Pulisic is no longer irreplaceable in the USMNT. | Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Now that Pulisic seemingly has Amorim on his side, the forward must turn his attention to USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine did not include Pulisic in his 28-player roster for the fall international break, adding yet another bit of evidence to the frosty relationship between the two.

Pochettino made it clear he is largely focused on the next generation, calling up eight teenagers and leaving home the veteran presences of Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie and Tim Ream.

It hardly signals the end of Pulisic’s time with the national team, but it certainly left the player with a need to prove himself again after a forgetful World Cup showing.

A resurgence at the club level will do wonders for his floundering stock and potentially get him back at the forefront of Pochettino’s plans.

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