Is manager Amorim the perfect choice for Man Utd?

On the evening of October 29th, European media outlets simultaneously reported that coach Ruben Amorim would be joining Manchester United in the near future. At 39 years old, the Portuguese manager has attracted interest from several clubs due to his successes at Sporting Lisbon.

So where does the hype surrounding manager Amorim come from? Is a manager with just over five years of experience suited to the pressure at Man Utd?

Achievements, style

Ruben Amorim, only 39 years old, is among the younger coaches currently working in Europe. His most notable achievement before moving to Man Utd was winning the Primeira Liga with Sporting Lisbon in the 2021-22 season, ending the team's 19-year title drought. Two years later, he continued his success by winning the Primeira Liga title in the 2023-24 season.

With a quality squad and a talented coach, Sporting has outperformed all rivals in the Portuguese Primeira Liga this season. They have won all 9 of their matches, scoring 30 goals and conceding only 2.

Coach Amorim knows how to win in the long run.

Sporting Lisbon achieved an average of over 3 goals per game thanks to Amorim's attacking philosophy. He used a 3-4-2-1 formation, focusing on ball control and flexibility in attack. When under pressure, the two wing midfielders would drop back to support the three central defenders, creating a five-man midfield. This deployment is quite similar to Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023-24 season, or Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea in the 2021-22 season.

In attack, manager Amorim prefers to use tall, independent strikers. Last season, his main striker was Victor Gyokeres, who is 1.89m tall and weighs 90kg. His imposing physique and keen goal-scoring ability helped him score 34 goals and provide 12 assists in 42 appearances in the Premier League and Europa League. Gyokeres' goal-scoring frequency was superior to most strikers in the Premier League.

In the 2024-25 season, the Swedish striker scored 16 goals in 14 matches. On average, he scored approximately 1.14 goals per game, a performance almost equal to Erling Haaland (1.16 goals/game).

At Man Utd, two tall strikers are waiting to be "rescued" by manager Amorim. Hojlund and Zirkzee have not really met the fans' standards. If they continue to perform poorly under Amorim, the chances of these two being dropped are quite high.

Gyokeres is coach Amorim's "goal-scoring machine".

I love youth football.

At Sporting Lisbon, coach Amorim promoted many young players to the first team, rather than relying too heavily on transfer funds from the club's management.

The players who came through the ranks under coach Amorim include: Nuno Mendes (PSG), Matheus Nunes (Wolves - Man City), Joao Palhinha (Fulham - Bayern), Pedro Porro (Tottenham), Manuel Ugarte (PSG - Man Utd). All five players mentioned above are products of the Sporting academy, sold for exorbitant prices thanks to coach Amorim's guidance.

Coach Amorim reunites with Manuel Ugarte at Man Utd.

Coach Ruben Amorim fulfills all three criteria that Man Utd desperately needs in a new manager: the ability to win titles, a focus on youth football, and the ability to develop players. With Erik ten Hag, fans have only sensed the first element, and perhaps the second (Kobbie Mainoo).

Erik ten Hag has yet to deliver the comprehensive, thorough footballing approach that Amorim has demonstrated after two seasons at Old Trafford. Manchester United fans expect Amorim to bring a fresh, younger, more effective approach, and, most importantly, to bring back the desire to win at Old Trafford.

Thanh Loc

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/hlv-amorim-la-lua-chon-hoan-perfect-for-man-utd-ar904679.html