The Ruben Amorim era is underway at Manchester United.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has successfully steadied the ship as interim boss since Erik ten Hag’s sacking and Amorim now inherits a much more settled scenario than was the case two weeks ago.
Amorim acted swiftly to decide to go forward without Van Nistelrooy as part of his staff. The Dutchman’s exit was confirmed hours after Amorim arrived at Carrington for the first time as head coach.
There are plenty more issues at Old Trafford for Amorim to address, though. Here, Sky Sports runs through some of the more pressing ones as he begins work in his new job after leaving Sporting.
Establishing three-at-the-back formation
Amorim’s formation has been the biggest talking point since his appointment was confirmed. Throughout his four-and-a-half years at Sporting, he has never stepped away from playing a back three.
The most pressing task facing Amorim on the training pitch before his first game at Ipswich on November 24 – live on Sky Sports – will be figuring out who can fulfil the specialised roles in this formation and familiarising the players with his system. Time is against him.
United are well-stocked at centre-back having signed Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt in the summer, but the wing-back position feels like a potential problem area, with few players standing out immediately as ideal for the role.
Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot are the obvious candidates. The returning Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are too but, based on their injury records over the last year, it might be difficult to rely on them.
Amorim tends to use a more attack-minded player on one side, often someone that inverts on to their stronger foot, which raises the possibility of some of United’s many wide forwards being converted into a wing-back.
Restoring confidence
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, the United shirt has weighed too heavy, hampering results and turning world-class players into flops. Finding a way to address this, and the seemingly toxic environment around United, must be a priority for Amorim.
His record at Sporting would suggest he has the skills for the job, having unified the club after years of instability. Transferring that to United is not a given, though. More experienced coaches than the 39-year-old have tried and failed to do so.
Amorim’s handling of the scrutiny since becoming star of the United soap opera bodes well. Navigating an awkward mid-season exit at a club close to his heart, Amorim has remained jovial and connected well with the media. He seems to be a people person.
The reverse was a common criticism of his predecessor. If Amorim can translate these skills to the dressing room and find the right balance of restoring confidence while commanding the authority to establish his principles, then he might be onto something.
This squad may not be good enough to challenge for titles, but with a different approach, as seen under Van Nistelrooy, we may well see performance levels improve. INEOS stumped up more than £200m on signings and will want to see more of a return.
Getting the goalscorers firing
United’s two strikers, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, signed for a total cost of £108m over the past two summers, have scored a combined three goals in all competitions this season.
Unsurprisingly, Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford has brought with it a barrage of speculation about Viktor Gyokeres, Sporting’s star striker, and a potential move to Manchester. He has, in contrast, scored 23 goals in 19 games this season.
The earliest United could sign Gyokeres, if he were to choose to follow Amorim, would be the summer, as his departing boss ruled out a January move. And there is no certainty that United will pursue the Sweden striker either.
Amorim will need to find a way to make do with the tools at his disposal.
Hojlund, still just 21, has endured a frustrating start to the season, often finding himself isolated and lacking in service, even when performances improved under Van Nistelrooy. Finding a way to get the Denmark striker more service will be key.
Save for a run of six consecutive scoring games last season, Hojlund has been patchy since signing from Atalanta. There is still faith that he can turn things around, but the longer his struggles continue, the more likely United are to look elsewhere for a solution.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, has not scored since his debut goal against Fulham in the first Premier League game of the season. The Netherlands striker has impressed dropping into midfield, but so far failed to show the killer instinct required to be United’s No 9.
Amorim’s upcoming Man Utd fixtures
Ipswich Town (A) – Premier League – November 24, live on Sky Sports
Bodo/Glimt (H) – UEFA Europa League – November 28
Everton (H) – Premier League – December 1
Arsenal (A) – Premier League – December 4
Nottingham Forest (H) – Premier League – December 7, live on Sky Sports
Viktoria Plzen (A) – UEFA Europa League – December 12
Manchester City (A) – Premier League – December 15, live on Sky Sports
Tottenham (A) – Carabao Cup – December 19, live on Sky Sports
Bournemouth (H) – Premier League – December 22
Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) – Premier League – December 26
Newcastle United (H) – Premier League – December 30, live on Sky Sports