For all the humility and warmth exuded by Ruben Amorim in his first press conference as Manchester United head coach, there was a clear message of strength to players and fans.
“As a coach, you have to choose one way or another: I choose always 100 per cent our way,” he said when asked about his preference for his 3-4-2-1 formation. “I choose to risk, no doubts. I believe so much in our way of playing; they will believe too. There is no second way.
“We will adapt some players because this team was built for a different system. The principles are the same.
“On Sunday, you will see the list of players, and maybe think not a lot of change, but you will see it in the positioning or the way they feel the ball.”
Such clarity of thought has been communicated to players during initial training sessions this week. According to people close to the squad — speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships — Amorim’s instructions have been short and direct. He does not want to overcomplicate things to start, but he does want to instil an idea.
He acknowledged changing the system midway through the season might cause some turbulence, but he has a positive mindset that he hopes will transmit to the players.
“I don’t know about repair, I feel we have space to grow,” he said. “I know it is a way of playing we are changing in the middle of the season. We have to improve the physical aspect of the team. I don’t know how long it will take. I know when in Manchester United you have to win games.
“I am a little bit of a dreamer: I believe in myself, I also believe in the club, I believe in my mindset, that can help. I truly believe in the players also. The only thing I ask is hard work and that you believe in a new idea. I felt that. Until they prove me wrong, I believe in the players.”
There, in that final sentence, was the steel that people who have worked with him say he possesses. It sounded like a warning shot to players, those who fail to commit themselves will face the consequences.
There were echoes of Jose Mourinho, who in his early days in England nicely meshed humour with a hard edge. Inevitably, Mourinho came up during the press conference. Amorim revealed the manager he studied under at Carrington during an internship six years ago had messaged him after his appointment at United. But while Mourinho called himself a Special One, Amorim preferred a modest moniker. He settled for the Right One.
“First thing, not just on me but all the Portuguese coaches, he showed we can be the best in the world, from a small country,” Amorim said. “But I am different from Mourinho. He was European champion and I am not. Football these days is different, and I think I am the right person for this moment.”
Amorim also talked about how his age, at 39 years old, can help him communicate with a squad of young men. In Mourinho’s time, he said, those players were Frank Lampard and John Terry. “These days are different,” he added, seeming to suggest a self-managing dressing room is harder to find.
He was smart in referencing those who have come before him, having the double effect of paying homage while also reminding us that many different types have failed, so he should be given time. There was also a nod to his current paymasters.
“You have here different types of coaches, the guys that won everything like (Louis) van Gaal and Mourinho, the new ones that knew the club inside out like (Ole Gunnar) Solskjaer, then one of the best outside the top-five leagues in (Erik) Ten Hag. You have different coaches, the same results. We will try to do INEOS way, my way.”
So not impossible, came the question. “No, of course not. Call me naive but I truly believe I am the right guy in the right moment.” There it was again.
That sense of momentum was felt by staff during greetings at Old Trafford in his first week in England. He showed genuine enjoyment in touring the museum and talked to people about the heritage of the club. He and the football executive want to forge a new history, though, and there were more signs in his first public address of how he will do that.
“I think we lose the ball too often, we have to be better at running back, I think that is clear to everyone,” he said, raising a smile in the room. “I think we have to be better on the details. In the small things, I think I can help a lot.”
It was no coincidence that footage from one of Amorim’s first sessions showed him urging the players to sprint back into position after losing the ball.
Those clips also painted a picture of how Amorim plans to shape United. His trademark 3-4-2-1 system was clear, with Leny Yoro, Jonny Evans and Luke Shaw making up the back three from right to left. Antony was the right wing-back, with Tyrell Malacia on the other flank, either side of Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo in midfield. Amad and Mason Mount occupied the two No 10 positions, behind Marcus Rashford up top.
At Sporting CP in the Portuguese Primeira Liga this season, Amorim has played a left-footer at right wing-back in 17-year-old Geovany Quenda, but at United the other candidates for that role are right-footed. It would be a major call to start Antony in the Premier League, especially if it means a defensively-minded wing-back on the opposite side at the expense of Alejandro Garnacho.
How Amorim fits Garnacho into the team will be fascinating to observe. The new head coach must assess whether the 20-year-old is willing to embrace a wing-back position or his suitability to operate in the tighter confines of a No 10 role. Bruno Fernandes is expected to partner Amad in that line of attack.
Amorim pulling Mainoo for instructions during the session, and then allowing that section of video to go public, suggests he is a player who will feature heavily. Amorim appeared to be reinforcing to Mainoo how to find space and fire the ball forward to the No 10s — who are central to his methodology. The two deeper midfielders can be classed as No 8s, although one is typically more disciplined than the other. Manuel Ugarte seems a sure fit as the sitter, having played under Amorim at Sporting from 2021 to 2023.
Rashford as a striker would be an interesting alternative to Rasmus Hojlund, given Joshua Zirkzee does not exactly match Amorim’s prototype in that position.
Amorim insisted the players are ready to adapt. “In this first moment, they just want to play, it is easy, in the future we will see,” he said. “You can watch on TV but you have to train with them to see if they can play in different positions. Everyone wants to play now; if they have the opportunity to play as a goalkeeper, they will.”
It was a nice line, another that raised a laugh.
In the windows to come, Amorim may be able to buy players that tesselate with his approach more closely. He was not as sure-footed on recruitment as he was elsewhere, but then again he is entering a new structure which is not yet settled itself.
“I think it has to be all together because if you are a coach coming here and already chose the players, you could be wrong because the club will be here for a long time and you as a coach, you don’t know that,” he said.
“We have to improve the process of recruitment, the data. I think it is all together, but the final word should be the manager, not because it is your right but because it is your responsibility. I have to understand the league and then when everything is aligned, everyone is on the same page, we can buy and sell players.”
(Top photo: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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