Amorim puts his reputation on the line at Manchester United
Ruben Amorim undoubtedly faces a monumental challenge when he takes over as Manchester United manager after the November international break.
The Sporting CP boss has been appointed as Erik ten Hag’s replacement and will inherit a ship which is listing badly on troubled waters in the Premier League.
A measure of the task he faces can be garnered on the sportsbooks linked to some of the toto sites gaming platforms, which rate United as 10/1 shots to finish in the top four.
The Red Devils were one of the favourites to qualify for the 2025/26 Champions League, but the bookmakers are happy to write off their chances.
The 39-year-old will land at Old Trafford with a relatively impressive CV following a successful spell in Portugal with Sporting CP.
Amorim guided Sporting to their first league title in 2020/21 and followed up with another championship at the end of last season.
His efforts have not gone unnoticed, with several Premier League clubs casting admiring glances in his direction over the past few years.
He was touted as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but will now be tasked with knocking United’s local rivals off their perch.
While Amorim has the potential to be an exciting appointment for United, it is worth noting that his reputation is built on successes in a hugely imbalanced league.
Sporting, Benfica and Porto generally dominate proceedings in the Primeira Liga – only two clubs outside that trio have ever won the Portuguese title.
However, Amorim’s style of play could potentially be a good fit for an underperforming United squad which lacked identity under the previous manager.
His favoured 3-4-2-1 system looks perfectly suited to the defenders at United’s disposal, although the club will need to address a glaring issue at left back.
It is debatable whether Luke Shaw or Tyrell Malacia will ever be fit enough to feature regularly in the Premier League, which could open the door for Harry Amass to be given a chance.
The 17-year-old is regarded as one of the best defensive talents to come out of United’s academy in recent years and could sparkle under Amorim’s tutelage.
The incoming manager has shown a willingness to promote young talent into the first team with Sporting, and will likely continue in the same vein at United.
His appointment should also be good news for midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who flourished under Amorim during his time in Lisbon.
Ugarte has shown flashes of what he can bring to United since joining them from Paris Saint-Germain this summer and will be a key cog in Amorim’s starting XI.
His ability to unlock potential should also work wonders with striker Rasmus Hojlund, who has yet to justify the big fee United paid to Atalanta to secure his services.
One of Amorim’s toughest tests will be controlling a dressing room which still contains several players former captain Roy Keane would describe as ‘bluffers’.
However, he is an excellent communicator who has a strong backroom team around him, and will fancy his chances of stamping his authority on the club.
From United’s perspective, they desperately need this appointment to work after several failed attempts to find a suitable replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson.
Amorim has been described as the man who will define the next generation of coaching in the way Guardiola has reshaped football during his managerial career.
It will be intriguing to see whether he can live up to those lofty expectations or whether the size of the job at hand proves to be too hot to handle.
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