Ruben Amorim is a new addition to the Manchester United sidelines – and he should bring success to this “special club”.Image: midjourney/imago/watson
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Ruben Amorim will make his first Manchester United touchline appearance against Ipswich Town on Sunday (5.30pm). The 39-year-old Portuguese is in many ways the perfect coach for the record champions.
Manchester United have done almost everything wrong since Sir Alex Ferguson left in the summer of 2013.
Coach after coach is exhausted in the search for a worthy successor to the legendary Scot. At the same time, spending hundreds of millions of euros to introduce new players has also resulted in countless transfer failures. The whole incident was accompanied by ongoing turmoil in and around the club, which continued not to subside even after a change of leadership from the Glazers to Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
His contract was extended in the summer and a few months later it became apparent that Erik ten Hag was no longer viable.Image: trapezoid
The final shot that backfired was Eric ten Hager's early contract extension. Thanks to the FA Cup victory, they overlooked an eighth-place finish in the Premier League – their worst finish since 1990, when England's Lords were still called the First Division – and unnecessarily cost the Dutch again Trapped for a year until 2026. After a few months they had to admit to those in charge that ten witches was no longer sustainable.
The most popular coaching talent since Xavi Alonso
In fact, in the middle of the season, with Manchester United's current situation, there should not be a top coach available at this time. However, the Red Devils signed Ruben Amorim, the most popular coaching talent since Leverkusen's Xavi Alonso, for a fixed fee of 10 million euros in his career. The next stop is a dark secret (Real Madrid). Like Alonso, Amorim was once a professional player and played 14 international games for Portugal in the midfield position.
The 39-year-old was already a candidate for Liverpool and was also traded to Manchester City. On the one hand, this is due to the success of Amorim's career so far. In January 2020, in his first month as the head coach of a professional team, he won the League Cup with Braga and lost only one game in 13 games. Sporting Lisbon subsequently paid a release fee of 10 million euros, which was the third-highest coaching transfer fee at the time.
In his first month as a professional coach, Ruben Amorim won his first title.Picture: www.imago-images.de
Success quickly came despite disputes within the capital club, described by some as a “civil war”. After Corona was forced to suspend play, Amorim led Sporting Lisbon to its first title in 19 years in the 2020/21 season, breaking through the long-standing phalanx of Porto and Benfica. He was successful again last season.
“He has a clear vision and expresses it well and is very good at making players better.”
Sports star Morten Humander
On the other hand, Amorim's eloquence in dealing with the media and his high popularity among players also left a deep impression. Wolfsburg pro Thiago Thomas, who made his breakthrough under Amorim, said: “The way he dealt with the players made a big difference.”
Despite interest from several top clubs, Miracle striker Victor Jackres decided not to move on in the summer, partly because of Amorim. Current Sporting CP star Morten Hulmand added to The Athletic: “He has a clear vision, he expresses it very well and is very good at making players better.” The transfer profit of 118 million euros obtained by Athletic during this period also proves this point.
his system could be a problem
The young coach has many qualities that could help him at Manchester United. Amorim's attractive football may also have played a role in the front office's decision to hire Ratcliffe. The Portuguese has been using a 3-4-3 formation in his previous position, but Amorim's system is still flexible.
Sporting CP plays in the Portuguese league, the gap is very large, very dominant and in possession of the ball. To do this, Amorim tries to create outnumbered situations all over the pitch and utilizes a three-man chain to shorten passing paths and provide additional passing stations early in the game. At the same time, they also know how to take advantage of counterattack opportunities. Manchester City recently experienced this situation when they lost 4-1 in the Champions League.
A photo that Manchester United fans love: Erling Haaland and Manchester City leaving Lisbon empty-handed.Image: trapezoid
In terms of ball control, Lisbon also relied on high press and deep defense to make it difficult for opponents to create opportunities. This should work in United's favor, especially against stronger opponents, the likes of which are not uncommon in the Premier League.
However, problems are foreseeable. In addition to the usual risks associated with hiring a coach who has never coached outside of his home country, the current roster does not fit Amorim's plans in many ways. Although the center backs have enough players on the ball, a lack of pace can be an issue when defending larger spaces.
I'm afraid it will cost a lot of money to reorganize the lineup.
It is particularly difficult for Amorim to occupy the wings. United's lineup is designed around a back four, including full-backs such as Diogo Dalot and Nussel Mazraoui. Luke Shaw is the best player next to the back three, but he's often injured. So it will be very exciting to see how Amorim solves this problem. Sky pundit Jamie Carragher even speculated that Amorim would order a winger like Alejandro Garnacho to return to the squad. Given that Amorim has never fielded a back four, there should be no choice to deviate from his tried and tested system.
As a result, United are expected to invest heavily again. Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reports that a new left-back will be signed next summer at the latest. Action may also be needed in the attacking positions at the back, which are a mix of wingers and attacking midfielders. Players such as Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford or Garnacho don't quite fit this mold.
That's what Jamie Carragher expects from Ruben Amorim's squad.
Converting the team to Amorim's system naturally comes with the risk of having to rethink things if the coach fails. The three-man chain is quite unusual in England, especially among top teams, so coaches who rely on it are not easy to find.
superhero self-image
This is already the case with Erik ten Hag, who paid an expensive transfer fee to sign a player who fit the system. Like several coaches before him, he was considered a “savior.” At the end of his tenure, The Telegraph reported that he had spent €660 million “making a mediocre team worse”.
“He believed that no challenge was too big for him.”
Former Portuguese national team player Simao
But with Amorin, many experts think things will be different. His ability to build a team that is better as a whole than its individual components has led many to believe his effects will be felt quickly. Otherwise, he has a relaxed but demanding personality and is full of confidence. Amorim's friend Simao describes it as an almost child-like self-image, akin to a superhero. “He believes that no challenge is too big for him,” said the former Portugal international.
Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to pay attention to Manchester United in the current situation. In particular, he is leading Sporting Lisbon to the next title, with 11 wins in 11 games and an unbeaten run in the Champions League, finishing second. But for Amorim, who made his debut at Ipswich on Sunday, working at the Red Devils has been a lot of fun.
“Manchester United is the engine of the Premier League,” the 39-year-old explained, adding: “It's a huge honor and a huge responsibility. I want to do something special at this special club. ”
