Ruben Amorim, the newly appointed head coach of Manchester United, is expected to bring a much-needed revitalization to the club as he arrives at Old Trafford later this month.
He faces the challenge of transforming a team that has been stuck in mediocrity and struggling in both the Premier League and Europa League. Amorim will need to start strong in one of the most scrutinized positions in football, following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag on Monday.
Ten Hag was the latest in a line of five permanent managers who have faltered while trying to fill the immense legacy left by the club’s most successful manager, Alex Ferguson.
However, those familiar with the 39-year-old Sporting coach believe he will mark a significant improvement. They highlight his charisma and ability to forge connections with players—qualities that are essential for achieving success in this high-pressure role.
A few days ago, I had a conversation with Nani, a former player for both United and Sporting. He mentioned to me, “Rio, the players truly play for him. They have a deep affection and respect for him,” said Rio Ferdinand, a former defender for United and England, now a pundit.
“United requires someone with both the character and charisma to say, ‘You know what? Regardless of what has happened here, I recognize your potential as a player.’ It’s essential to have someone like that on board.” Amorim, whose hiring was officially announced on Friday, is set to join Manchester United on November 11. His inaugural match is scheduled for November 24 against newly promoted Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
Following that, he’ll face Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League and have a home game against Everton in the Premier League, both of which could provide a promising start. However, he will then encounter two significant away challenges: Arsenal on December 4 and reigning champions Manchester City in a derby match on December 15.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, all five permanent managers who have taken charge at United have begun with great optimism and positive beginnings, yet eventually faced declines in a repetitive cycle, turning Old Trafford—once known as the Theatre of Dreams—into a place of disillusionment.
Amorim is hailed as a hero at Sporting after revitalizing the club by winning two Primeira Liga titles, including their first in 19 years when he was just 36 years old. He already has support within the United ranks from fellow Portuguese players Diogo Dalot and club captain Bruno Fernandes.
“He’s an exceptional coach who knows exactly what he wants, and he’s quite demanding,” Dalot shared with Sky Sports. “This is an ideal match for a club of this stature. The Premier League fits well with players from Portugal; we have a culture of striving for self-improvement, especially coming from a smaller nation. I truly hope this will be another success story, and I’m eagerly looking forward to working with him.” One of the significant challenges facing United this season has been their struggle to score goals, with only Southampton and Crystal Palace performing worse in terms of goal tally.
Conversely, Amorim does not have this same issue at Sporting, where his team sits at the top of the league table with 30 goals—seven more than their nearest rival, Porto. Viktor Gyokeres, the 26-year-old Swedish striker, has been prolific, netting 12 goals in just nine matches, and he could be on United’s radar.
OWNERSHIP CHALLENGES
Amorim steps into a team where a significant 70% of the players were selected by Ten Hag, who invested over 200 million euros (approximately $216.96 million) during the recent transfer window. Unfortunately, the performance of these players has not matched their hefty price tags, and the repercussions of United’s ownership are evidently felt. This situation may explain why Amorim has been designated as United’s first “head coach” rather than a traditional manager.
Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender turned pundit, commented, “Manchester United managers have held too much power in the past. Ruben Amorim, along with future managers, will not enjoy that same level of authority. The club must make the appropriate signings that align with the manager’s vision, unlike Erik ten Hag, who had full autonomy in choosing his players, regardless of the costs — for example, 85 million pounds on Antony, which hasn’t yielded results. Additionally, paying 70 million pounds for a 30-year-old midfielder like Casemiro is questionable.”
It remains uncertain how much United’s co-owners, INEOS, will be willing to invest after Ten Hag’s spending spree of more than 600 million pounds on player acquisitions since his appointment in April 2022, set against a backdrop of five consecutive years of financial losses. As United competes in the League Cup—preparing for a quarter-final match against Tottenham Hotspur next month—as well as the Europa League, Premier League, and FA Cup, Amorim will have the chance to assess his squad ahead of the January transfer window.
Carragher is optimistic about Amorim’s potential for success with the current roster. “One reason the Manchester United position is particularly attractive right now is that top coaches across Europe have been observing their matches over the past 15 months and believe they could organize this group of players to achieve significantly better results,” Carragher stated in The Telegraph. “There is undeniable talent within the squad, yet the absence of effective, world-class coaching has prevented them from reaching their full potential.”
