Man Utd transfer target Viktor Gyokeres ‘UNHAPPY with Ruben Amorim’ as boss prepares to quit Sporting to replace Ten Hag
RUBEN AMORIM’S expected move to Manchester United has not gone down well with two Sporting CP stars, reports suggest.
The Red Devils sacked Erik ten Hag on Monday and appointed assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim manager.
However, club bosses Ineos proved to be laser-focused in appointing the next permanent manager, with two-time league winner Amorim set to take charge.
United have indicated they are willing to pay the 39-year-old’s £8.3million release clause, but have been told to cough up a further £4m to take his coaching staff as well.
SunSport exclusively revealed that idol and former tutor Jose Mourinho encouraged him to take the job.
Tuesday night saw Amorim’s Sporting side win 3-1 over Nacional in the Portuguese League Cup.
But come Wednesday, not all was as it seemed with O Jogo reporting that star striker Viktor Gyokeres had been left unhappy with Amorim’s upcoming exit.
The Swede has become one of Europe’s top strikers under Amorim, and scored in Tuesday’s 3-1 win, but was “enticed” to stay in Portugal to continue working with the “Special One 2.0”.
However, both the 26-year-old and Danish star Morten Hjulmand have been left irritated by the Amorim news after turning down interest from elsewhere, including from Man Utd.
Speaking to SportTV, ex-Coventry ace Gyokeres said: “He’s here and that’s what I’m focused on, let’s see what happens. He’s still here, so I’m not going to wear myself out.”
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Amorim was asked about player instability regarding his move at his press conference.
He replied: “If I haven’t even left Sporting yet. What I say is that, when everything is decided, I will come here to explain everything. At this moment, everything I can say to a Sporting fan. It is obvious that they are revolted about the situation.
“Because they have a lot of affection for me. They believe a lot in my work. And love is very close. It’s not really hateful. But we know what football is like. I realize that.
“People have to feel what they have to feel at this moment, I have nothing to say about it and I think it’s perfectly natural. What I am saying is that now I cannot say anything definitive or definitive.
“And I’ll be able to say that. If I have the opportunity, and I should, I’m sure I will, I’ll explain here, step by step, why I decided one thing or another. I don’t want to give hope to anyone, nor stop giving hope.
“What I say is that there was the club’s situation. The communication had to come out on this day that there is a game. The feeling in the stadium that Pedro had, I had.
“I can see that my players, when they go to a lecture, are not the same. This is part of our life and we know what these situations are like. We have been through in the past.
Ruben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man Utd
WHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.
Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.
But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.
Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.
He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers.
The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.
And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.
Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.
Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.
United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”
And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.
For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.
“What I say is that a club has appeared that wants to pay my clause. And I don’t control that. When the plane came, I might not have caught the plane. It’s true.
“I thought the championship was already won. I couldn’t say that at the time, but now I do. In this situation, there are things that I do not control.
“What I control is that I’m going to say and I’m going to explain everything here. And I’ll explain my decision. That’s it. But I need to have everything defined. Players do not need to make any requests.
“I know what the players want. I know what the players feel. Now, it’s time to get ready to work.”
Asked about the likes of Gyokeres in particular, he added: “First, no player was offered the clause [to leave mid-season]. And that doesn’t change. There is no more stability than that.
Ruben Amorim leaves Sporting on a high
By Charlie Wyett
RUBEN AMORIM would have preferred to leave Lisbon in a blaze of glory after winning a third Primeira Liga title.
Yet football does not work like that. And in what was surely his final game before taking charge of Manchester United, Amorim prepared to say his goodbyes at a half-empty Estadio Jose Alvalade in a League Cup quarter-final against Nacional.
Sporting won 3-1 thanks to second-half goals by captain Morten Hjulmand and Viktor Gyokeres, who scored two.
Luis Esteves pulled back for Madeira-based Nacional.
The stadium will be a good deal more lively on Tuesday when Manchester City are here for a Champions League match — although Amorim should by then have his feet firmly under his desk at Old Trafford.
Liverpool and Aston Villa were both interested in Europe’s most sought-after coach. Even City could have been a possible destination post-Pep Guardiola.
Yet the United job is one Amorim, 39, could not turn down — even if not everyone saw it that way at Sporting last night.
There is clearly a huge split in the Portuguese club’s fan base over their coach leaving at this stage of the season with many believing he should have seen the job through.
Yet Amorim, along with the three-man coaching team who are expected to follow him, leaves a club in a much better state than when he arrived here in 2020.
Inside the stadium, there was applause — albeit muted — when his name was read out before the game along with the line-ups.
And there did not appear to be any jeers when Amorim shuffled out from the tunnel awkwardly towards the dugout.
So, while his departure is hard to take for some, none of the fans will forget his legacy.
This is a club which is back as the dominant force in Portugal. Even this term, Sporting have won their first nine league games, scoring 30 goals and conceding just two.
They are also eighth in the Champions League table, which is one hell of an effort.
In contrast, Lisbon was not exactly hit by League Cup fever last night.
Amorim made lots of changes, which saw Sporting’s star man Gyokeres, the former Coventry striker, start on the bench.
There was, however, a first appearance in six weeks for former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards.
He is certainly one player who has been transformed by Amorim since arriving at the club from Vitoria in 2022 and will be sorry to see the coach leave.
While he changed his team, Amorim stuck with his tried and trusted formation of a back three.
It will certainly be something Manchester United’s fans will have to get used to over the coming months.
But looking at the Premier League table, none of them will be complaining about the change.
“It’s easy to say, only someone leaves here because of the clause. Then, it wasn’t Viktor who said that. He was Viktor’s agent. They are different people.
“I will not be talking about the decision or non-decision. I’ll explain everything. What will force one way or the other, that doesn’t matter now. I’ll explain everything.
“Now, speaking of that part, the club only lets assets be sold in the middle of the season, it seemed to me, it was always that rule, by the clause.
“No player had proposals for the clause. None. In this respect, the project is not weakened because the rules remain. And the coherence remains.”
Despite reports initially claiming Amorim could be in charge as soon as this Sunday’s clash against Chelsea, The Guardian report there is a 30-day notice period before the switch can officially happen.
The Red Devils play six games in that period before hosting Everton at Old Trafford on December 1 in what could be Amorim’s first game in charge.
In the meantime, United beat Leicester 5-2 in the League Cup on Wednesday, with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro both grabbing a brace while Alejandro Garnacho also got on the scoresheet.
It was a stark contrast even to the West Ham game on Sunday, as Ten Hag’s squad struggled to get the ball in the net. A fact that ultimately cost the Dutchman his job.
Man Utd ratings vs Leicester
MAN UNITED started life after Erik ten Hag with a comfortable win over Leicester in the Carabao Cup.
But who shone in the 5-2 victory, and who will be hoping incoming boss Ruben Amorim wasn’t watching?
SunSport’s Katherine Walsh gives her ratings…
Altay Bayindir – 6
Although United dominated, Bayindir looked shaky when Leicester’s chances came.
He flapped with a dodgy punch which led to the away side’s 33rd minute goal. And he looked to repeat it with McAteer’s shot just before half-time.
But one excellent second half save, pushed on to the crossbar, when Steve Cooper’s side were pressing, boosts his mark up a bit.
Victor Lindelof – 6
Hasn’t got the partnership with De Ligt established yet as they both failed to deal with crosses too often from centre-back.
But wasn’t really troubled consistently in the absence of Jamie Vardy in what was his second start of the season.
Matthijs De Ligt – 7
A more physical presence at the back than in previous performances but a more potent attack could have caused much more trouble.
Kasey McAteer got the better of him a few times and he was subbed in the 71st minute for Jonny Evans.
Lisandro Martinez – 6
Looked vulnerable at left-back in moments, with Lindelof filling in at centre-back.
James Justin often had acres of space in the second half before United made it 5-2.
Diogo Dalot
Back in his beloved right-hand side and told to push into midfield but often left his defensive channel wide open.
Passed back all too often and kept Justin onside in the first half.
He assisted Garnacho’s opener though after collecting Casemiro‘s stunning lofted pass.
Played a part in Leicester’s second after the ball bounced off him to drop for Coady in another silly goal to concede for the home side.
Casemiro – 9
The star of the show. A stunning first-half showing saw Casemiro score a brace after bagging a 30-yard screamer for United’s opening goal inside 15 minutes.
He was involved in Garnacho’s goal too. Came up with a number of key defensive headers in the second-half to show class is permanent, although form might be temporary at 32 years old.
Manuel Ugarte – 6
Conceded early fouls but worked hard. Slowly but surely starting to get to grips with his United team-mates after a shaky start.
Bruno Fernandes – 8
Restored United’s 3-1 lead with his first finish of the season. Played with a smile on his face, which we often haven’t seen this season.
Dummied the ball for Casemiro’s worldie and scored his second of the evening in the 57th minute after rolling it under Danny Ward before tapping it into an empty net.
Will be leaned on heavily by Van Nistelrooy to produce the goods following Ten Hag’s departure.
Marcus Rashford – 6
A quiet evening for Rashford, who needs to kick on after Ten Hag’s exit.
The winger lost the ball a lot in the first 30 minutes. Flicks didn’t come off and hauled off again in the 60th minute.
Rashford’s only played a full 90 minutes THREE times this season.
Alejandro Garnacho – 7
A goal and assist for Garnacho, who attended the Ballon d’Or on Monday.
The 20-year-old doubled United’s lead inside 27 minutes after a well worked team move and set up Casemiro’s brilliant opener.
Looked a constant threat throughout and was taken off 20 minutes from time to be saved for Sunday’s clash against Chelsea.
Joshua Zirkzee – 4
Worked hard but never looked confident on the ball and struggled to get involved in the seven-goal thriller. Never seemed to be on his toes either.
But the only consolation is that he was involved in Casemiro’s second (United’s fourth).
Trudged off after 85 minutes looking disgruntled with his tail between his legs.
Subs
Amad (60′ for Rashford) – 7
Instant impact from the bench. The youngster almost scored an overhead kick with his first touch of the evening.
Mazraoui (60′ for Martinez) – 6
Hojlund (71′ for Garnacho) – 6
Jonny Evans (71′ for De Ligt) – 6
Ethan Wheatley (85′ for Zirkzee) – N/A