It was all smiles at the training ground as Ruben Amorim introduced himself to his Manchester United charges this week.
Strolling around and shaking hands – his t-shirt and puffer jacket combination and slicked back, naturally wavy hair would not have looked out of place on the catwalk, let alone Carrington – the self-assured swagger Ruben Amorim displayed during four extremely successful years at Sporting has been palpable ever since he stepped out of that taxi on Monday afternoon.
And the grins and hugs he was greeted with, the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount quite literally embraced the change, paints the picture of a man who knows how to immediately win friends and influence people.
For now, however, more formal introductions can wait.
With many of Manchester United’s senior stars out on international duty, Carrington is home this week to those too injured to take part – see Mainoo, Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw – as well as those omitted from their national teams plans. Marcus Rashford and Mount, for instance.
And Erik ten Hag’s replacement kept his message to those staying behind short but sweet.
Ruben Amorim spotted giving message to Manchester United squad
“I’m thrilled to be here, guys,” Amorim said, via a video posted on Man United’s official social media channels. “We have to have fun.”
Now, there has not been too much ‘fun’ going around at Old Trafford recently.
Part of the reason why Manchester United chose Ruben Amorim over a host of other options, however, is because the 39-year-old already has a reputation for walking into underperforming clubs and bringing about almost immediate change.
The ‘unique’ Amorim led Braga to their first trophy in four years immediately after taking over in 2019. He then ended Sporting’s two-decade wait for a league title before repeating the trick last season.
How Man United – 13th in the Premier League still despite the Bruno Fernandes-inspired victory over Leicester City on Sunday – could do with a similar and extended case of ‘new manager bounce’.
Omar Berrada speaks out as Ruben Amorim arrives in Manchester
Omar Berrada, the former Man City and Barcelona chief appointed by Ineos as Man United’s CEO at the start of 2024, spoke out about the excitement surrounding Ruben Amorim’s appointment earlier in the week.
“I am very excited about the arrival of Ruben Amorim,” Berrada told reporters. “It is good to be back in Lisbon, I was here two weeks ago [for talks with the former Sporting boss].
“We really believe that he will integrate into the rest of the structure so that we can be successful on the pitch.”
Following the behind-the-scenes appointments of Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox, Jean-Claude Blanc and Christopher Vivell – Old Trafford is home to a litany of experienced sporting operators these days – the hope will be that Ruben Amorim can be the final piece in Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s jigsaw.
His era begins, meanwhile, when Man United host Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town on November 24th.
The likes of Christian Eriksen – away on Denmark duty – will be back in time for that fixture. And the sense amongst Man United ranks is that the return of club football cannot come soon enough as Eriksen counts down the days until he can be introduced to Amorim.
“I am looking forward to coming back [to Man United]. Of course, I’ve seen his results recently,” Eriksen told reporters during his Wednesday press conference.
“I have seen how much Sporting has suddenly come into the media and won a lot of games – including against Manchester City!
“I hope [Ruben Amorim] comes in and creates a breath of fresh air. Then, we have to see how it goes.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/9SXMvlB