After a rather unusual mid-season notice period, Manchester United have a new head coach, with Rúben Amorim officially in place after arriving in England on Monday.
The Portuguese coach was appointed at the start of November but continued at Sporting CP until the international break, with Ruud van Nistelrooy – who’s since departed Old Trafford – taking charge of four United matches following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag.
United’s choice of Amorim is an interesting one, partly due to the system he played at Sporting. There’s an expectation he’ll oversee considerable change at the club; not necessarily in terms of success, that’s impossible to guarantee. But rather the way he’s set his team up in the past could hint at several players needing to adapt, or leave altogether.
Although Amorim must wait until 24 November for his first match, away at Ipswich Town, there’s plenty of work to be done in the meantime. So, what will be the key challenges of his first couple of months in the job?
Outline and Begin Establishing an Identity
Ten Hag ultimately lost his job because of results, but for much of his time at the club, it was difficult to pinpoint what sort of team he wanted them to be. That might have been overlooked for longer if they won games regularly, but they didn’t.
For many fans, the most disappointing aspect of Ten Hag’s time in charge was the fact United didn’t really have a discernible identity. This was difficult to accept because among the main reasons the club hired him in the first place was the entertaining style of play associated with his Ajax team.
Ten Hag said in his very first press conference at the club that Ajax’s way of playing was what resonated with him most, but he’d have to let United’s players dictate their brand of football.
What eventually followed was a rather muddled system. He wanted them playing out from the back and able to control possession while also being devastating in transition. They had to press high with intensity while also defending quite deep because they didn’t have enough pace at the back to push the defensive line all the way up.
There were positive signs in his first season, undoubtedly aided by Marcus Rashford’s stunning form, but the disconnects in the team contributed to their midfield being chronically exposed last term. In turn, only relegated Sheffield United (678) conceded more shots than Man Utd (667) in 2023-24.