The Ruben Amorim style of play is something of which everybody associated with Manchester United will be keen to see over the coming weeks.
Amorim’s start at Old Trafford has been temporarily delayed owing to visa issues. However, the Portuguese manager has been officially confirmed as the Red Devils new Head Coach.
His first match will come on November 24 as United take on Ipswich Town at Portman Road in the Premier League. On paper, it’s a very kind fixture for the 39-year-old to sink his teeth into.
With that said, many in the red half of Manchester will want Amorim to iron out the continued problems that have hindered United over the last few years.
Now his tenure at Sporting Lisbon has ended, what can be expected of Amorim? And what are his main priorities once he starts his new role?
What Is The Ruben Amorim Style Of Play?
A question which will have been on all Manchester United supporters minds is what is the Ruben Amorim style of play? To be honest, he is set to rip up the status quo at Old Trafford.
It is widely expected that Amorim will implement his Sporting Lisbon blueprint at United. Something of which will surely excite everybody associated with the world famous club.
At Sporting, Amorim adopted a 3-4-3 formation and encouraged a high-energy press. Something of which the 39-year-old will stay loyal to in his new role.
🔴❗️ Ruben Amorim when asked if he's gonna play with back three at Man United: "I have to start from something I know very well and then develop that with the players".
"We don’t have much time to train, there are many games, so I’ll start from a structure I know very well". pic.twitter.com/9MLFY8C0jM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 11, 2024
“I know how I am going to play in the beginning because you have to start with a structure that you know,” Amorim said after Sunday’s 4-2 farewell win over Braga.
Therefore, United supporters can wave goodbye to the 4-2-3-1 lineup that was used by Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman’s tactics were often criticised during his time at Old Trafford.
It may prove a bold decision for Amorim to stick to his principles in terms of style of play. Many of United’s current crop aren’t used to a back three. However, change is needed to bring back the glory days to M16.
Will Ruben Amorim Get Manchester United’s Forwards Firing Again?
It’s far too soon to predict the outcome on whether Ruben Amorim can get the best out of Manchester United’s attack-minded players. But during his time at Sporting Lisbon, he oversaw a total of 515 goals in 231 matches.
Just for context, those figures are across all competitions in his four years with the Portuguese giants. Admittedly, opposition defenders will be tougher in the Premier League than what Amorim is typically used to.
Nonetheless, Amorim certainly has some talented forwards at his disposal. Youngsters Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund are yet to hit their primes and can be moulded into stars under Amorim.
His biggest task will be to get Marcus Rashford back on the scoresheet on a regular basis. The local lad has endured a rather torrid time in front of goal over the last two years.
Our no.🔟
❤️ @MarcusRashford #MUFC pic.twitter.com/hD8TCDrFB3
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 20, 2024
Amorim is expected to bring his Sporting backroom coaching staff with him to Old Trafford. Carlos Fernandes, Adélio Candido, Paulo Barreira, Emanuel Ferro, and Jorge Vital are those in question.
All will be vital to United’s efforts moving forward and between them, they must get everybody amongst the goals. That will also include Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo and even Antony.
Amorim will need to restore confidence and faith in all the aforementioned players. In particular Rashford. The England international is a confidence player and Amorim can likely provide the spark needed.
The same can be said of compatriot Bruno Fernandes. The attacking midfielder starred in the 3-0 win over Leicester City on GW11 and will work closely with him to generate an impressive goal output.
Can Ruben Amorim Stop Manchester United’s Leaky Defence?
Again, it is too soon to envisage if Ruben Amorim can make Manchester United the defensive force they were under club legend Sir Alex Ferguson.
United have been hugely unlucky with injuries in defence in recent seasons. Nonetheless, there are always question marks over those who are selected on matchdays.
Interestingly, the Red Devils have actually shipped less goals than rivals Chelsea and Manchester City this season. They have also kept five clean sheets in the Premier League.
With that in mind, it’s not all doom and gloom when analysing the defence. However, 3-0 defeats to Liverpool and Tottenham could and perhaps should have been bigger scorelines.
Harry Maguire in Amorim’s system can easily return to being one of the best CBs in the world. His ability is perfect in a back 3 pic.twitter.com/LjPxQfEr7s
— 7👤 (@Utddoja) November 5, 2024
That is where the major problem lies. United appear to fall to bits when playing sides they should regularly be competing with in the higher echelons of the table.
Even in the UEFA Europa League this season, the Red Devils have shipped in every game bar one. Amorim will know that this is something of which will need to be addressed immediately.
The Portuguese gaffer certainly has it in his repertoire to tighten the backline. At Sporting, he conceded less goals than matches played which will reignite faith amongst supporters.
All in all, Amorim’s style of play, his ability to get his strikers scoring and defenders shipping less goals will ultimately go a long way in proving whether he is successful at Old Trafford or not. And of course, his trophy haul.
