It was impossible to watch Ruben Amorim’s first interview as Manchester United head coach without feeling enthused.
The 39-year-old, who arrived in England on Monday, hit all the right notes and struck the right tone as he was quizzed by a member of United’s in-house media team.
Less than a week into his tenure as United boss, Amorim, who will take charge for the first time when his side faces Ipswich Town at Portman Road next Sunday, has already offered an insight into the type of character he is.
READ MORE: I challenged Jose Mourinho to change his United transfer plans – and I won
READ MORE: ‘My first goal’ – Ruben Amorim grants Roy Keane his United wish
Easy going and incredibly charismatic, there is nothing to dislike about the former Sporting Lisbon boss. He never stops smiling and you can sense just how excited he is to be at United.
With the cameras rolling, Amorim, who speaks excellent English, started talking, and it quickly became clear that identity was the buzz word of the interview.
“I think it’s important because a lot of people now talk about the 3-4-3 and the 4-3-3 and all that stuff,” Amorim said. “But when I think as a player or as a teammate of Manchester United, it is not a system of formation, it’s like the character of the players, the way they see the club.
“So we have to focus on that before the everything of how we play, how we press. 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.
“We know that we need time, but we have to win time. To win time is to win games. But the most important thing for me is identity.”
Under Erik ten Hag, it was often hard to work out what United’s identity was. He arrived at Old Trafford in May 2022 with the expectation of trying to replicate what he had done at Ajax.
However, it soon became clear that would not be possible. He abandoned his principles, and United’s style of play, certainly last season and at the start of this, was unwatchable. It lacked a plan and it was often messy.
You sense that will not be the case under Amorim. He wants to nail down an identity immediately, suggesting the squad he has inherited must adapt to his demands or risk being in trouble.
Once Amorim gets that message across and United’s players start producing the type of football he envisions, then the club should be able to move forward with its quest to climb back to the top of both English and European football.
That will require further coaching and the need for more signings. Future additions, however, must be capable of playing Amorim’s way, with his principles forming the central pillar in this latest Old Trafford chapter.
And establishing an identity and a clear style of play was exactly what Ralf Rangnick felt United needed when he was in interim charge during the 2021/22 season.
“If you look at the two clubs who are currently dominating the Premier League [Manchester City and Liverpool], they did exactly that,” said Rangnick. “They brought in two managers and not only did they bring in two managers, they also changed the whole thing in terms of formation, what kind of players do they need? What kind of football do we want to play?
“The headline of everything was ‘how do we want to play?’ And underneath this headline after every transfer window, they created the team they have in both clubs.”
Rangnick’s decision to hone in on the importance of a club establishing how it wants to play has parallels with Amorim’s mission. The latter developed a clear way of playing at Sporting, with every player buying into his methods.
He needs the same attitude from the squad he has inherited in Manchester. The only way his vision will come to fruition is if the players buy into it.
If that desired scenario unfolds, that should only improve results and performances, making United a more attractive proposition for future signings.
Rangnick often hit the right notes during his United tenure, saying exactly what supporters wanted to hear, with his press conferences the highlight of his premiership. Amorim’s task is to give United’s fans what they want to see.
