Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes believes newly-appointed manager Rúben Amorim can help put the Red Devils back on the right path contending for Premier League titles like he did at his former club, Sporting CP.
Amorim joins a United side 13th in the Premier League table, fresh off a 3–0 home win against Leicester City under caretaker manager and former player Ruud van Nistelrooy. United's poor star to the campaign resulted in Erik ten Hag's dismissal with the team's hierarchy looking to make a change on the touchline to bring the Red Devils back to the forefront of English soccer.
Fernandes has high hopes of what Amorim can achieve at Old Trafford. Although Fernandes didn't play for Sporting CP when Amorim took charge—Fernandes signed for United in Jan. 2020 while Amorim was appointed manager in March of that year—he's kept a close eye on his former club and believes it's the perfect time for the 39-year-old to make the move to the Premier League.
"This is the right moment for him to come, bring his energy, his qualities and his knowledge of football because he did something very special at Sporting," Fernandes said in an interview with Manchester United TV.
"I watched almost all of the Sporting's games. [Amorim] is someone who brought the excitement back to the club. He brought a lot of good things to the club and hopefully, he can do the same here because sometimes a person can change the energy of a space if it's the right moment."
Fernandes brought up the fact that Amorim ended Sporting's league title drought in the 2020–21 season, finishing above the likes of FC Porto and Benfica. The Red Devils last won the Premier League back in the 2012–13 season when the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson signed off in fashion.
Fernandes drew comparisons between the two situations and hopes that Amorim can have similar success to change United's fortunes.
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"They (Sporting) were about 20 years without winning the league, he got them back to winning the league and he did it twice in four years with a really [young] team in a moment of change. Hopefully, it can be a successful moment for us.
The 30-year-old attacking midfielder made note of how Amorim forges strong connections with his players to get the best out of them, a huge reason as to why he was able to win two league titles in Portugal and put Sporting back on the map.
"For me what stands out for me is the connection he has with players. When the manager is going from your club in the middle of the season with all the things they have still to win, you see the way they say goodbye to him, the way they make him feel part of the team and the way they treat him, it shows he's a great character and he is someone that gives his all to the players.
"I have seen many moments where players were struggling and he goes to the press conference to defend his players to give them the best opportunity to shine."
Amorim is set to take charge of United for the first time following the international break on Nov. 24 when the Red Devils travel to take on newly-promoted Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bruno Fernandes Gives His View on Manchester United's New Head Coach.
