Who is Ruben Amorim? Tactics and Style of Play of New Man Utd Boss Assessed

 

Ruben Amorim took over the reins as Manchester United boss this week. Following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal last month, United acted quickly to bring Amorim to Old Trafford and while they had to wait a short while before the Portuguese took charge – Ruud van Nistelrooy kept the hot seat warm between the two permanent managers – supporters are hopeful the 39-year-old will bring prolonged success to the club not seen since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. 

 

 

That did mean that supporters caught a glimpse of the approach Amorim will bring to United. Fans will have watched keenly as Sporting CP battered Estrela da Amadora, rivals Manchester City and Braga, scoring 13 goals in the process. To say they should be excited is an understatement. 

 

The stand out performance came in the Champions League triumph over City as Sporting came from behind to blitz the Premier League champions in Amorim’s final home game as a Viktor Gyokeres-inspired showing downed Pep Guardiola’s men. 

 

It’ll take time for Amorim to assemble a squad capable of operating in the way his Sporting side played, but he rebuilt the Lisbon-based giants to become the powerhouse side they are today. Here we’ll look through who Amorim is and the style of play he’ll bring to Old Tarfford. 

 

Who is Ruben Amorim? 

 

Amorim enjoyed a successful club career, with Benfica no less, claiming three Liga Portugal winners’ medals and was a Europa League runner-up in 2014. At 39 years of age, Amorim is young for a manager and we’ve seen the images across social media of the new United boss playing against current squad members Jonny Evans and Christian Eriksen. 

 

 

The former midfielder got his big break in management in December 2019 when he was promoted from Braga B boss to become head coach, in the process guiding the Liga Portugal side to the Taca da Liga. Amorim would manage Braga for just three months before Sporting came calling, agreeing to pay €10m for his services despite a lack of top-flight experience. 

 

At Sporting, Amorim began to make waves in management, guiding the Portuguese side to a 19th Liga Portugal title, and a first in 19 years, in his first full season in charge, before adding a second last season. He leaves Sporting in a great place with the Lions top by six points having won all 11 opening league matches. 

 

Style of Play 

 

While former United boss Erik ten Hag remained loyal to a 4-2-3-1 setup, fans should witness a shift to a three-man backline. With Sporting, Amorim favoured a 3-4-3 system, with at least one ball winner and the emphasis on the wing-backs to provide the width. Sporting were led by a lone striker with interchangeable attacking players in support. This season, this has been Trincao and Pote, who are both willing to cut infield or burst down the flanks if required, and the irrepressible Gyokeres leading the charge. 

 

United have the relevant full-backs on the books to play a four-man defence, but they may struggle with the attacking demands placed upon them by Amorim. This was much the case for Sporting this season, with teenager Geovany Quenda and Uruguyan winger Maximiliano Araujo often deployed at right and left wing-back, respectively. With a raft of centre-backs on the books, Amorim can implement a three-man backline, utilising Leny Yoro – when fit – Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez across the defence. 

 

 

The wing-backs could prove tricky, however given the abundance of wingers at United, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Amad, Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford deployed in a deeper role. Former Sporting stars Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, the latter emerging as one of the finest ball winners on the continent under Amorim, are expected to immediately become key men under Amorim. 

 

Nevertheless, United fans should gear up to witness a more transitional United side that is capable of pressing high up the pitch to force mistakes and create chances more frequently. While they are different leagues with a different level of opposition, Sporting were averaging 17.7 key passes per game under Amorim in Liga Portugal this season, a huge rise on United’s average of 11.4. He’s an exciting appointment that’ll go some way to restoring United to their former glory.

Who is Ruben Amorim? Tactics and Style of Play of New Man Utd Boss Assessed