There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Portuguese manager, particularly after his Sporting team beat Manchester City in the Champions League earlier this month.
Amorim’s predecessor, Erik Ten Hag, was able to lift silverware in both of his seasons in charge, but he also led the team to their worst-ever finish in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim will be targeting trophies, however, moving United up the table has to be the priority. We assess how the former Sporting boss can achieve that.
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United and Amorim: the Perfect Match?
Wholesale changes are expected at United as they prepare for Sunday's trip to Ipswich. Nevertheless, some of Ruben Amorim's preferred footballing principles should align well with this squad. Amorim’s teams aim to control possession and build attacks from the back using the goalkeeper, an area in which Andre Onana excels.
INEOS decided to heavily invest in defenders during the summer transfer window, which is fortunate given Amorim's preference for a 3-4-3 formation. Matthijs De Ligt and Leny Yoro will be a crucial component of the defence. The new manager favours defenders who can be aggressive and step out of the back line to win the ball. Noussair Mazraoui should also enjoy a wing-back role.
United turned to Manuel Ugarte to help solve their midfield problem. The Uruguayan produced the best football of his career so far under Amorim at Sporting. He served as the enforcer behind the high press and is likely to thrive in this position once again.
Getting Manchester United’s misfiring attack going is arguably Ruben’s toughest challenge. Joshua Zirkzee was brought in to ease the burden on Rasmus Hojlund in the striker role, but neither could be described as prolific. Amorim has helped turn Viktor Gyokeres into one of the most lethal forwards in Europe, and he aims to replicate this success with the United attackers.
Ruben Poised for a Fast Start
The silver lining for Amorim and Manchester United fans is that their new managers usually perform well in their opening games. Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, the club has seen 10 different managers, including interim ones.
Seven of the previous nine have won their opening competitive games in charge of the Red Devils. The exceptions were Louis Van Gaal and Erik Ten Hag, both Dutchmen.
United will square off against Ipswich this weekend, a team that has managed to win just one of their 11 league matches so far. In contrast, Amorim’s Sporting had won all 11 of their league games before he made the switch to Old Trafford. He also steered the team to 2nd place in the Champions League.
Erik Ten Hag’s United team struggled to maintain control during matches. Last season, the Red Devils were hammered for conceding 17.55 shots per game with only Sheffield United, who finished 20th, affording their opponents more opportunities to shoot.
The Dutchman’s tactical setup left large gaps in the middle of the pitch, allowing United’s opponents to counter with devastating effect. The Red Devils appeared more compact during Ruud Van Nistelrooy's brief tenure, and this should persist under Amorim.
The Red Devils have additional positives to consider. In the last two instances when they dismissed a manager mid-Premier League season, the team managed to secure a top-six finish.