In his first interview as Manchester United’s head coach, Ruben Amorim kept returning to a couple of buzzwords that could define his early weeks at Old Trafford.
During his chat with club media, he referred to his “idea” five times and discussed his team’s “identity” six times. This was very clearly sending a message. There were no promises of results, but there was a guarantee that supporters would see a plan very quickly.
“I think you will see an idea. You could like it or not, I don’t know, but you will see an idea. You will see a positioning. You will see something,” Amorim said of the first impression his team will deliver.
“Something that we want to reach that kind of level. You will feel that. But we have to know that it’s like two training [sessions] before the first match. This is the best league in the world. But if I have to say something to you, you will see an idea. This I can guarantee.”
ALSO READ: Staying in a hotel and shaping a new era – Inside Amorim’s United
ALSO READ: Amorim can spring tactical surprise in first United training session
That alone will be music to the ears of United fans who became fed up watching a team without an identity. Erik ten Hag might have delivered two trophies to Old Trafford, but there was never a sense that he was building a side with a clear style of play.
They became a moments team, individuals producing a brilliant piece of play to create or score a goal and win a game. From the beginning of last season, very few 90-minute performances suggested a clear tactical plan being implemented by the whole team. United were too open, too easy to play against, and too vulnerable to teams set up creatively with a clear plan.
Amorim clearly intends to change that. When Ten Hag held his first press conference, he said the players available to him would generally dictate the style of play. The new head coach intends to stick with his philosophy and his 3-4-3, with the players moulded to fit into that structure.
In some ways, the excitement around Amorim’s first game at United is similar to that which greeted Jurgen Klopp’s first as Liverpool boss. Again, the anticipation levels rose across an international break. Klopp sent out a team that pressed in a manner they hadn’t done previously, and although the goalless draw at Tottenham was low on quality, it was a team that suggested he had a plan and would stick to it.
United fans will be tuning in at Portman Road, expecting to see something similar. Amorim’s teams are built on different principles, but pressing will be critical, as will the role and energy of his wing-backs. Who is picked to play in what position will also be fascinating.
Two training sessions with his entire squad won’t be enough for Amorim to instil all of his ideas. Having taken over at the start of the busiest stretch of the season, it could be months before he looks at his team and believes they have definitely got it.
But if supporters can look at the side that plays Ipswich this weekend, then Bodo Glimt and Everton at Old Trafford, and see the outline of a plan and identity coming together, then they will be happy. It’s been too long since a United team was clearly identifiable by its patterns of play and its philosophy on the pitch.
