Ruben Amorim has replaced Erik ten Hag as the new Manchester United manager – but what tactics and style of play can fans expect from the highly-rated Portuguese coach?
Having only parted ways with Ten Hag on Monday, United have moved swiftly to seal a deal with the Sporting Lisbon boss.
The Red Devils have had to pay in excess of €10million (£8.3m) to activate his release clause and secure an early start but the club have deemed it a necessary figure to prise away a coach who has been courting interest from several top European clubs.
Liverpool were mooted as a potential destination last summer after Jurgen Klopp announced his depature, while Amorim publically flew to London for talks with West Ham. Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich were all linked too.
And it’s easy to see why. Having led Sporting to their first league title in 19 years in 2021, the young Portuguese coach repeated the trick last year and already has his side six points clear at the top of the table after nine straight wins this season.
In 2018, Amorim travelled to Old Trafford to undertake an internship alongside his coaching idol and United boss at the time, Jose Mourinho. Six years later, the job is now his.
Who did Ruben Amorim play for? Playing career explained
Making his senior first-team debut in 2003 for Belenenses in the Portuguese first division, Amorim is most well-known for his time at Benfica where he made 154 appearances across six seasons.
Usually playing in central midfield but also deployed at right-back, he won three league titles during his time with Benfica as well as a domestic treble in 2013-14.
Internationally, he made 14 appearances and featured in the 2010 and 2014 World Cup for Portugal but was forced into a somewhat early retirement aged 32 due to injuries.
Ruben Amorim’s managerial record and trophies won
While injuries may have forced him into an early retirement, it also provided the perfect springboard for an early move into coaching.
In 2018, he took over at third-tier side Casa Pia but saw that opportunity come to a grinding halt when the side was docked six points and Amorim handed a suspended year-long sentence for delivering instructions during a match without the required coaching licence.
The following September, Amorim was afforded an opportunity as coach of coach Braga reserves where he had previously spent two seasons on loan as a player.
Just three months later, he found himself with the first-team job following the sacking Ricardo Sá Pinto and proved an immediate hit. Having guided the club to cup glory in January he was on the move again, poached by in March by Sporting for an eyebrow-raising €10m fee.
Sporting’s gamble on a young, relatively unproven Amorim proved a masterstroke, with the then-36-year-old guiding the club to league glory in 2021.
Amorim repeated the feat in emphatic style last season, winning 29 of their 34 games to finish 10 points ahead of second-placed Benfica. He has also won the Portuguese League Cup on two occasions with Sporting.
So far in his career, he has won 182 of the 256 matches he has managed which makes for an impressive 71.09 win percentage.
What tactics and style of play could Ruben Amorim bring to Man Utd?
One early change Amorim is almost certain to make is to move United towards back three which he has deployed throughout his managerial career.
While wedded to a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3 formation, the Portuguese coach is known for his versatility in how he sets up his teams for specific opponents but prefers to see his side with a high defensive line and looking to control the ball.
Wing-backs are expected to get high up the pitch and provide the team’s attacking width. Such a role could suit Noussair Mazraoui but Amorim has also previously used wingers at wing-back to enhance his side’s attacking creativity.
Such a system has got the best out of Viktor Gyokeres who already has 12 goals in nine league games this season, while central midfielder Morten Hjulmand and the attacking Pedro Goncalves have also caught the eye.
Manuel Ugarte, who enjoyed a positive spell at Sporting under Amorim, could be parachuted straight into the midfield pivot and will be asked to cover huge amounts of ground in the middle of the park.
Amorim is also willing to put faith in young players, providing a platform at Sporting for the likes of Mattheus Nunes, Pedro Porro and Nuno Mendes who have all gone to join top European clubs.
17-year-old Geovany Quenda, ironically linked with United in the week, scored his first senior goal last weekend and is the latest example of that trust in youngsters.
Off the pitch, Amorim’s approach has garnered praise, too. Already fluent in English, he has often adopted a friendly approach with the media and is seen as an impressive communicator not only with the press but with his players.
Should he walk into the pressure-cooker environment of Old Trafford, he will need all of those qualities if he is to achieve success.
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