Who is Rúben Amorim?

Karan Ahgun

— 4 min read
Who is Rúben Amorim?

After Manchester United sacked Erik Ten Hag on Monday, it became common knowledge that Sporting CP Head Coach, Rúben Amorim, was the favourite to succeed the Dutchman at Old Trafford. Amorim has been linked with big jobs previously and now he's set to take on one of the hardest, if not the hardest jobs in football. So who is Rúben Amorim and why is so sought after?

Rúben Amorim retired from playing football beneficially at the age of 32 and got his first coaching job at Casa Pia in the third division of Portuguese football. He was coaching Casa Pia despite having the necessary coaching badges, which resulted in him receiving a fine and having to resign from his role. Despite this oversight, Amorim took charge of the Braga reserves and quickly got promoted to the Braga first team in December 2019. Whilst in this role, Amorim started to show off his coaching credentials, winning the Portuguese League Cup and within two months, Sporting CP triggered a €10 million release clause for the young coach.

It is at Sporting CP that Rúben Amorim has made his name as one of the most promising young coaches in European football. Amorim has won the Portuguese League title twice in 3 years at Sporting, winning the first League title in 19 years for the club. Whilst Sporting CP are a big club in Portugal, both Benfica and Porto are seen as the biggest clubs in the country which can also be supported by looking at the payrolls of both clubs in comparison to Sporting. One of Amorim's best qualities is his ability to improve players through coaching. Sporting have seen many young talents come through and sold for good transfer fees in his time, including Nuno Mendes, Manuel Ugarte and João Palhinha. Another one of Amorim's best qualities is his tactical flexibility and clear philosophy of how he wants his team to play. It is well-known that he is wedded to a 3-4-3 system and adopts an intense possession-based approach which has contributed to his success in Portugal and has earned him some big wins against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in European competitions. Amorim's success in Portugal has led to some interest from some of Europe's top clubs in the past. The like of Chelsea and Liverpool held talks with Amorim in recent times but it seems now that his destination is to be Manchester United. So what can Amorim do to make United better?

Amorim has been given the title of "Head Coach" rather than "Manager" at Manchester United. This is significant as it would seem that he fits better in the new football structure that INEOS have spent this year putting in place and will work with executives such as Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox to deliver performances and results on the pitch. It's also significant in that Amorim won't be involved with transfer strategy as much as Erik Ten Hag was and will be able to focus on coaching. In terms of playing style, it may take some time for some Manchester United fans to accept playing the 3-4-3 system because playing 3 at the back has negative stigma attached to it. But the intense and direct style which Amorim's teams are known for will excite fans once the players get used to the system. Amorim's skills off the pitch are also commendable and a big reason why he's got this job. His personality and communication skills are highly spoken of by Portuguese football journalists and experts and could be in stark contrast to how Ten Hag communicated. Whilst it's understandable that English wasn't his first language, it often felt like Ten Hag struggled to control the room in interviews and press conferences, and the media took advantage of this. If what the Portuguese experts say is true, Amorim has the kind of charisma that José Mourinho had when he first came into English football but is less abrasive. His personality and communication skills will also help his players understand what's required of them and will create a positive environment for them to thrive in.

Amorim will start as Manchester United Head Coach after the November international break but he has an early chance to endear himself to United fans this Tuesday if his Sporting team is able to beat Manchester City in the Champions League. His aim will be to see an improvement in performances and results as soon as possible and could have a shot at winning a trophy this season if all goes well. Let's see how this new appointment works out for Manchester United!

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