What does someone who worked with Ruben Amorim at Sporting make of him? “His drive to succeed is incredible,” they said. “He’s ruthless. He doesn’t give a s**t what people say or who players are.”
That will be music to Manchester United supporters’ ears. The illuminating footage of Amorim in the thick of it during his first team training session at Carrington has further fuelled excitement.
Training sessions are sensitive and United highlighted that behind the erection of a wall earlier this season that shielded the first team’s pitch. On Monday evening, seven minutes of Amorim timing attacks from back to front was aired.
It confirmed Amorim is indoctrinating the players in the ways of his much-hyped 3-4-3, with potential early indicators as to who will start at Ipswich Town on Sunday. There was also the rare sight of United players sprinting towards their own goal.
READ MORE: Amorim takes decision with Yoro
READ MORE: Sporting expect United to bid for winger
Leny Yoro was informed on Monday he was down to start for the Under 21s in the National League Cup at Altrincham on Tuesday evening. His absence was owed to Amorim. Yoro was in the United defensive triumvirate for Amorim’s maiden session.
Of all the post-Ferguson managerial appointments, only Jose Mourinho’s in 2016 rivals the buzz around his compatriot. At the time of Erik ten Hag’s overdue dismissal, it seemed unlikely United would settle on a replacement to completely unify the fanbase yet they have achieved that with Amorim.
It helped that the 39-year-old was visible in the days before United confirmed his imminent arrival, affably indulging the handful of English media representatives at his press conferences in Lisbon. More flocked to his briefings the following week as Sporting gave Manchester City a shellacking in the Champions League. United’s best result in Europe that week was not against PAOK.
The personable Amorim pressed the flesh during his tour of Old Trafford last Thursday and a handful of fortunate visitors’ own tour coincided with his. Optimism at United has not been this rife or widespread since the FA Cup final, an anomalous high among innumerable lows.
It makes it all the more peculiar that Amorim will not be introduced at Old Trafford today. He sat at the same press conference seat last week that Ten Hag did a day after the sulphurous 2021-22 campaign ended.
Since David Moyes, every permanent or interim United manager has been afforded an introductory press conference at Old Trafford. In the Zoom era, Ralf Rangnick was deemed worthy of a first in-person press conference in 21 months. The Number 7 suite was opened for Mourinho, Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
A paint-by-numbers interview by in-house media with Amorim, conducted last Thursday evening, was published around 24 hours later at 7pm on Friday, a graveyard slot in the daily news cycle. United gave the impression they were burying bad news when Amorim’s arrival is only behind the FA Cup victories over Liverpool and City for their feel-good story of the calendar year.
Club sources say Amorim was deliberately held back to allow him to settle into his new routine, rather than subject him to two press conferences before his first match in charge. He will hold court at Carrington at 1.30pm on Friday.
There will be up to three sections for regulars, the Sunday newspaper journalists and guests from Portugal. The upper floor of the Jimmy Murphy Centre is not vast and the event has already been billed as a probable circus by a staff member.
The key questions will eventually be asked and answered at the bum-fight this afternoon. Pre-match press conferences usually last 15 minutes. An audience with Amorim will warrant at least double that.
Some at United are reluctant to be overly positive. They have seen this all before with a new manager, as those who cover them have, too. Figures at the club have welcomed Amorim’s energy and his presence has been uplifting. “He has struck all the right notes,” one source said.
“He’s more charismatic and empathetic with players and the press than Ten Hag,” someone else who knows Amorim said. “He will answer everything at a press conference. He tends to joke.”
Amorim worked closely with the Sporting president Frederico Varandas and sporting director Hugo Vian. His confidants believe a similar rapport is required with the United hierarchy. Amorim has spoken about his “connection” with chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
Portuguese sources feel Amorim will make tweaks to his anticipated 3-4-3 system. The majority of United’s centre backs are well versed in the back three set-up while Diogo Dalot operated in a 3-4-3 for Porto B when United scouted him.
Amorim came “very close” to succeeding Jurgen Klopp when Liverpool whittled down their shortlist of candidates to Amorim and Arne Slot. Manchester City earmarked Amorim as Pep Guardiola’s heir had he left Manchester after ten years. He will encounter Guardiola again in next month’s derby.
Like Mourinho, Amorim is holed up in The Lowry Hotel, though his residency is unlikely to rival his mentor’s as he is already house-hunting. United security staff have ferried Amorim to Carrington every day this week.
There is a curious sub-plot to Amorim’s United debut at Portman Road. In the opposite dugout, there will be another highly-regarded 30-something coach who was a candidate to replace Ten Hag this year. Kieran McKenna is also another Mourinho protégé, having been promoted to first team coach at United in July 2018 three months after Amorim’s internship at Carrington.
Had United come calling for McKenna a second time last month then his release clause would have been more expensive than Amorim’s prudent €10million buyout. Some of the more entitled United players found McKenna’s methods to be too officious whereas the younger squad members were more receptive.
One narrative can be scrapped from this weekend’s fixture. The last time United were at Portman Road in May 2002 the game was settled by Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Van Nistelrooy gained “closure” with his appreciation for the United supporters at full-time against Leicester two weeks ago. Then Amorim closed the door. There was that ruthlessness, hours after Amorim’s private jet touched down at Manchester Airport.
There was something else Amorim’s former colleague at Sporting mentioned: “He will 100% succeed.”
