Ahead of new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim’s arrival, we’ve highlighted some of the biggest potential winners and losers within the United squad.
Following the dismissal of former boss Erik ten Hag, United have appointed Sporting CP head coach Ruben Amorim to replace the Dutchman.
At just 39 years old, Amorim will become United’s youngest permanent manager since Sir Matt Busby, and takes charge over the international break.
The Portuguese coach will manage his first game when United travel to Ipswich Town on 24 November.
Ahead of his arrival, we’ve picked out some players likely to benefit in an Amorim system, and others who may lose out.
Tactically, Ruben Amorim teams tend to play with a back three, and don’t use conventional wingers. If he brings that shape to Old Trafford, it would be a dramatic style change for the Red Devils.
He will of course have to adapt to the personnel at his disposal, at least until the January transfer window.
But it seems unlikely Amorim will deviate significantly from the tactics which brought him success at Sporting and earned him the United job in the first place.
The Biggest Winners From Ruben Amorim’s Arrival
Manuel Ugarte
First up and an obvious choice is Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan midfielder has barely featured since arriving in the summer from PSG, but will now link up with former boss Amorim.
Ugarte was excellent under Amorim at Sporting, and knows the manager’s system inside and out.
Operating in a double-pivot, he was well-suited to the shape and earned a reputation for his tenacious work-rate.
Necessary win.
Thank you all for your support at home. Let’s keep it going.
This is Old Trafford @ManUtd @premierleague pic.twitter.com/0zQ9V0SSDp
— Manuel Ugarte (@manuugarte8) November 10, 2024
But despite making a £52 million move to Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag gave Ugarte just 347 minutes, less than half the play time afforded to both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
However, while Ugarte is a player likely to benefit from Ruben Amorim’s arrival, the manager has stressed nobody is guaranteed to play for him.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Amorim praised the midfielder he will soon reunite with, but emphasised that Ugarte must still earn his place.
He said: “First of all, all the Uruguayans I’ve managed are incredible and that’s why I love all Uruguayans. Ugarte is a very talented kid, he has a lot of room to grow, and he was one of the funniest players I’ve ever coached.
“I was very happy to know I would find him back at Manchester United, but he knows better than anyone that for me all players are equal, so I was very happy, but he is still going to have to work hard.”
Harry Amass
Another likely beneficiary of Ruben Amorim’s arrival is youngster Harry Amass.
Amorim has no problem incorporating youth into his teams. And with the likelihood of United’s new shape requiring out-and-out wing-backs, there is a lack of depth in the current senior squad in that position.
Having stood out in pre-season, Harry Amass has since struggled to make a mark under Ten Hag. But the arrival of Amorim could be the perfect opportunity for the 17-year-old to stake his claim.
A natural, left-footed wing-back, Amass could be exactly what United need. Luke Shaw has struggled for fitness over the past year, and is much more suited as a full-back than wing-back.
Tyrell Malacia, meanwhile, has not played since May. This leaves Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui routinely filling in on that side, both of whom prefer playing on the right.
While he still has plenty to work on at a young age, particularly defensively, Amass could offer the width and forward threat United may need down the left flank.
Rasmus Hojlund
And the third potentially big winner from Ruben Amorim’s arrival is Rasmus Hojlund.
The Danish striker has been solid for United since he joined, but certainly has the ability to reach new heights.
He will need to prove his worth to Amorim if he wants to start, but the Portuguese coach is no stranger to improving forwards.
Fellow Scandinavian striker Viktor Gyokeres has been superb since joining Sporting, and Hojlund could develop similarly if he bonds well with the incoming boss.
There have been flashes of brilliance under Ten Hag for Hojlund, but he is yet to show his full potential.
The issue, though, has not really been with the striker’s conversion rate. He is one of the better players in the league on that front.
But with better service and more opportunities, Hojlund could take his game to the next level under Ruben Amorim.
The Biggest Losers From Ruben Amorim’s Arrival
Bruno Fernandes
One man who may lose out from Amorim’s arrival is United skipper, Bruno Fernandes. This is because Amorim’s usual tactical shape does not include a traditional attacking midfielder.
Sporting have tended to operate with a deeper-lying midfield, leaving Fernandes without a natural position in the team.
As one of United’s best players in recent years, we don’t expect him to be left out. But having struggled in wider roles, Bruno may find it hard to adapt to an Amorim system.
There have been iterations of Amorim’s 3-43 shape that would allow Fernandes to play in behind the striker, but this is not the usual set-up Sporting have played with.
It will be interesting to see how both Fernandes and Amorim adapt to each other, but there is potential for the United captain to suffer, at least in the short-term.
Antony
Probably the most likely loser from Amorim’s arrival will be Antony.
Ten Hag’s most expensive signing has failed to live up to expectations, and has reportedly already been told he is free to leave in January.
With Amorim’s teams not using natural wingers, there is also little place for the Brazilian in any United side under the new manager.
And while other wingers may be able to adapt, Antony is already so far down the pecking order his days are surely numbered at Old Trafford.
With 12 goals and five assists in 87 total appearances, he appears destined for the exit door.
Casemiro
Another Brazilian likely to struggle under Ruben Amorim is Casemiro. The 32-year-old is probably going to fall out of the team in favour of the already-mentioned Manuel Ugarte.
While Casemiro has looked good in spells this season, age is not on his side. Amorim will most likely utilise the player in Ugarte who he already knows, alongside the up-and-coming talent of Kobbie Mainoo.
And with Bruno Fernandes potentially competing for a deeper role as well, it seems likely that Casemiro will lose out.
It would be very harsh use the old cliche of ‘his legs have gone’ to describe Casemiro, but he has definitely slowed down compared to his prime at Real Madrid.
With Amorim often preferring high-energy, tireless players in midfield, it may be a struggle for the veteran to keep his place.
Amad Diallo
And lastly, the arrival of Ruben Amorim may also be bad news for Amad Diallo.
As mentioned, Ruben Amorim’s teams tend not to use natural wingers. Instead, width comes from wing-backs playing high up the field in possession and bursting forward.
Sporting have been known to push their forwards out wide, with some success, but the players most likely to perform this role for United are the likes of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
Both are further up the pecking order than Diallo. For that reason, he seems most likely to suffer in a system that doesn’t include his most natural position.
The same could be said for Rashford and Garnacho, but each has shown more adaptability to date.
Regardless, all of them will need to adapt if Ruben Amorim’s arrival spells the end of natural wingers in the United lineup.
