Ruben Amorim has handled himself brilliantly since Erik ten Hag’s sacking was confirmed.
Amorim emerged as the front-runner to replace Ten Hag just hours after he was sacked and fronted up in Sporting Lisbon press conferences before he was officially given the job.
The 39-year-old is a savvy communicator – much to the relief of United staff members – and managed to make a strong impression on fans before he even landed in Manchester.
The way Amorim spoke in press conferences and Sporting beating Manchester City in the Champions League has been responsible for that and supporters were desperate to get a glimpse of him as he arrived at Manchester airport, which signalled the beginning of his tenure.
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Amorim travelled straight to Carrington from the airport. He is still waiting on his visa so cannot ‘coach on grass’ but introduced himself to staff and looked around the training ground.
His first game in charge of United will come against Ipswich Town when the Premier League resumes after the international break and his team selection will be fascinating.
If you somehow hadn’t read by now, Amorim plays with a 3-4-3 formation and all eyes will be on the team sheet when the first line-up of his reign is confirmed at Portman Road.
Some have suggested Amorim might gradually implement his philosophy and tactically compromise to begin with, but he hinted he would grab the bull by the horns on Sunday.
Amorim oversaw a 4-2 victory in his final game in charge of Sporting and was asked in his post-match press conference how long it would take to see his philosophy at United.
“I know how I am going to play in the beginning because you have to start with a structure that you know,” said Amorim in perfect English. “Then you will adapt with the players that you have, some injuries, or no injuries, what kind of players have the abilities to defend, attack.
“I will discover that in the next few weeks. We don’t have a lot of time to train, so I have to show [the players] something that I know very well. You can take whatever you want from that.”
Amorim’s response indicated he’ll waste no time in trying to convey his message and he’ll be aware of the key principles he must get across in training sessions to prepare for Ipswich.
Ideally, a new coach would want a full pre-season to overhaul a team’s tactical set-up, but Amorim has joined during the campaign, which will make the task a bigger challenge.
Although it won’t be easy to transform the approach and there will be teething issues in the coming weeks, United believe they have hired one of the finest coaching prospects in football and Amorim’s track record suggests he’s got the nous to improve results and implement a style.
There are some United players who have experience playing in a similar system – Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw spring to mind – but Amorim’s approach might be a wake-up call to others.
That can only be a positive because the players’ minds will be stimulated. They should buy into what Amorim wants to achieve and those who don’t can be shown the exit door.
Ruud van Nistelrooy steadied the ship during his interim reign, going undefeated across four fixtures, but the approach wasn’t hugely different to how Ten Hag had United playing.
Amorim’s tactics will be a different kettle of fish, though. It’s guaranteed to be exciting.
