Following the announcement of Erik ten Hag’s dismissal Manchester United last week, the club have moved swiftly to secure Ruben Amorim as his successor.
Amorim, who has made a name for himself in Portugal with Braga and Sporting, has been a sought-after figure in the managerial market, previously linked to Liverpool over the summer and rumoured to be Manchester City’s preferred successor for when Pep Guardiola leaves the Citizens.
With Amorim’s arrival at Man United happening on 11 November, we take a look at who Amorim is and what Man United fans can expect from his tenure.
Background
Amorim is a 39-year-old, highly regarded Portuguese football manager and former midfielder, best known for guiding Sporting to their first Primeira Liga title since 2001/02 in 2020/21, followed by a second title in 2023/24.
The former midfielder enjoyed a fruitful playing career, playing for Belenenses between 2003 and 2008 and Benfica from 2008 to 2017, as well as Braga on loan in 2012/2013 and Al-Wakrah on loan in 2015/16. He also made 14 appearances for the Portuguese national team between 2010 and 2014.
After retiring, he quickly transitioned into coaching, starting out at Casa Pia in 2018 before moving to Braga in 2019. His breakthrough came at Braga, where he won the 2020 Portuguese League Cup, earning him a move to Sporting in 2020 for a record fee.
He has since led Sporting to their first title in 19 years, bringing the club back to the forefront of Portuguese football.
What to Expect
Amorim has predominantly deployed a 3-4-2-1 system at Sporting, with the wing-backs often more attack-minded and sticking close to the touchlines in order to provide plenty of width. This allows for the two players behind the striker to take central positions, with these two providing much of the quality in the final third.
Sporting press extremely high up the pitch, with one of the two central midfielders often pushing forward to make a line of three behind the striker when looking to close down the passing lanes.
When in possession, one of the central defenders usually steps into the midfield, allowing the goalkeeper to move into the defensive line and effectively be used as an extra outfield player, with the remaining two central defenders splitting wide. The ball can then be played out wide to the two wing-backs or fizzed into a midfielder, with them then turning and driving towards the opposition goal.
This system could suit Man United, with plenty of central defenders that are comfortable in possession and wide players such as Alejandro Garnacho, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui that could thrive in the wing-back roles. Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo could be the perfect midfield options for Amorim’s system, while Rasmus Hojlund, Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford and others could excel in the forward three positions.
Could Amorim bring anyone from Sporting with him?
One of the hottest talents in Europe right now is Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres. The Swedish striker has scored 20 goals in just 16 matches for the Portuguese champions this season. Since joining from Coventry City in July 2023, he has netted 63 times in 66 goals for Sporting and possess all the attributes as a complete forward and one who could thrive in the EPL.
He fits Amorim’s system perfectly and played in a similar formation for Coventry and with question marks over Man Utd’s two big money strikers, Gyokeres could be the answer to those problems.
Bet on Gyokeres to score anytime on Tuesday night for Sporting against Man City, here.
