Ruben Amorim has admitted that he has no intention of repeating the mistakes of his time at Manchester United, and the first result of the change is already here. The Milan coach temporarily abandoned his preferred three-back formation and opted for a 4-4-2 in a convincing 3-0 win at the weekend. His decision broke a three-match winless streak and brought only the second clean sheet for the “Rossoneri“ this season. One of the big changes was the return of Christian Pulisic to the starting lineup. The American got his first chance of the season and it took him just 14 minutes to score.
It was his first goal for Milan since December 28, 2025. Pulisic stayed on the pitch for 69 minutes, creating two chances for his teammates and making just three passes. "I can't repeat my mistakes from Manchester. If we don't have the necessary characteristics to play a certain way, we have to adapt," Amorim told La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Portuguese admitted that the new system has given his players more freedom. "The players have had more freedom. In the last few games we were a bit too static, as if we were stuck," he added. Pulisic has had a difficult 2026.
He lost his place in the Milan squad and failed to score for the United States at the World Cup, which was eliminated in the round of 16. Then a leg injury that turned out to be a microfracture further limited his preparation. The American was benched for Milan's first three games at the start of the season, and Amorim admitted that the player was frustrated by the lack of playing time. Pulisic now has a chance to turn things around, but he has another task ahead.
US coach Mauricio Pochettino left him out of his 28-man squad for the fall break and called up eight teenagers, leaving out Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie and Tim Ream. Strong performances with Milan could give Pulisic a chance to once again become an important part of the Argentine specialist's plans.