Manchester United parted company with former manager Erik ten Hag earlier this week, and the story accelerated rapidly towards who would take the vacant spot in the Old Trafford dugout.
Former Red Devils striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was appointed as an assistant under Ten Hag this summer, took charge in the immediate interim while a permanent appointee was found.
It quickly became apparent that Ruben Amorim of Portuguese outfit Sporting was the frontrunner, with the club later confirming United’s approach. So how might the potential new boss set up in his new surroundings?
What style of play will Manchester United have under Ruben Amorim?
The most eye-catching potential change is Amorim’s favoured back-three approach; something that an Old Trafford crowd will not be accustomed to and may take some getting used to.
Amorim’s style has a strong focus on possession, wing-backs that stay high up the pitch – necessitating three central defenders for a strong base to build upon – and varied attacks.
Although formations in the modern game never rigidly translate to what you’re likely to see on the pitch, notionally, the Portuguese coach’s line-ups at Sporting are chalked up as a 3-4-3, with two wide forwards on either side of a central striker.
That means that United’s typical frontline under Ten Hag in recent times, with Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford on opposite flanks and Rasmus Hojlund in the middle, could be retained in some guise under Amorim.
In terms of wing-backs, both Diogo Dalot and summer signing Noussair Mazraoui are renowned for their attacking capabilities – the latter even taking up the no.10 role in Ten Hag’s penultimate game in charge – meaning they should be capable of adapting without much fuss, but Amorim’s appointment would bring United’s recent links to Bayern Munich’s flying left-back Alphonso Davies into much sharper focus.
One thing that will immediately please United fans is Amorim’s faith in youth, a cornerstone of the Premier League club’s identity. In his time at Sporting, he has given breaks to the likes of Matheus Nunes, Joao Palhinha, Pedro Porro and current Red Devils midfielder Manuel Ugarte – all of whom went on to be picked up by teams in England’s top tier.
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In FourFourTwo’s opinion, given many fans feared seeing Gareth Southgate take charge once Ten Hag had gone, Amorim feels like an exciting appointment.
Although there may be some work to do in future transfer windows, with the likes of Davies, in the shorter term it seems that Amorim should have enough in the current squad to implement his style of play.
Manchester United next face Chelsea at Old Trafford when Premier League action returns this weekend, after a midweek Carabao Cup tie against Leicester City.
