Manchester United’s new head coach Ruben Amorim has told his players that they need to “have fun” on the pitch as he looks to change the culture at the club.
United is still looking to bounce back after legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson left the club at the end of the 2012-13 season, as the Red Devils have struggled ever since his departure. Amorim is the sixth permanent head coach to be hired in the 11 years since Ferguson stepped down, and United is currently enduring its worst start ever to a Premier League season.
There’s a belief that Amorim can restore the club to its former glory, as Liverpool has dominated United in recent years to cause a major momentum shift in the northwest of England. It’s going to take time for Amorim to implement his changes, but in a bid to see them climb the table, he’s asked that his players have fun and enjoy themselves.
Due to the international break being underway, Amorim is yet to meet some of United’s biggest stars. However, he’s already delivered the message to Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo, Lenny Yoro, and Toby Collyer, along with several promising academy players.
Amorim gave a speech to the United players in attendance, and said “we have to have fun” while also explaining how delighted he was to join “the best club in the world.” Amorim is a highly respected coach and fittingly beat Manchester City 4-1 in his final game in charge of Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon.
If Amorim can alter results at United, then he will be seen as a club hero, and the 39-year-old is confident in his strategy. “I will try to do everything to put this club in the place that it belongs,” he said in his first interview. “And I believe a lot that we are going to succeed.”
Amorim has even begun discussing his tactics, and said: “The most important thing for me is identity. From day one we will start with our identity. A lot of people now talk about the 3-4-3 and the 4-3-3 and all that stuff.
“But when I think of Manchester United, it is not a system of formation, it’s like the character of the players, the way they see the club. The most important thing for me at this moment is to create the principles, the identity and the character that we had in the past. So if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, is identity.”
One of the main criticisms of United’s players is that they’ve forgotten who they’re playing for, as Old Trafford is no longer the fortress it once was. Again, this is something Amorim is focused on changing as soon as possible.
“When the players come here, they should make the same tour with the same guy all the time,” Amorim added. “I think this is very important to do. It is one thing that you have to feel that this is Manchester United and it’s normal. If you are a lot of years without winning, you start losing that.
“So you have to be very clear on the message that you want to put on the players. So I think we need to put all the players doing the same thing, to regain that feeling.”
