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Ruben Amorim oversees first Man United coaching session as eagle-eyed fan spots which gamers the brand new boss lined-up in his favoured 3-4-3 formation

  • Ruben Amorim oversaw his first training session as Man United boss on Monday
  • Many key players were away on international duty but some stars were present
  • LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday 

Ruben Amorim took charge of his first training session as Manchester United manager on Monday.

Amorim was confirmed as the man to succeed Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford back on November 1 but he did not start his new job until November 11 as he served a notice period at former club Sporting Lisbon.

The 39-year-old is widely regarded as one of Europe’s top coaches and he finally got to work at United’s Carrington training ground this week.

Amorim did not have a full squad of first-team players to work with because many of his top stars were on international duty.

However, the likes of Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Leny Yoro all took part in Monday’s session.

Amorim put his players through a series of drills and also set up a practice match.

New manager Ruben Amorim took charge of his first Man United training session on Monday

New manager Ruben Amorim took charge of his first Man United training session on Monday

Amorim, 39, appeared to be in a good mood as he oversaw Monday's session at Carrington

Amorim, 39, appeared to be in a good mood as he oversaw Monday’s session at Carrington

The former Sporting boss watched on keenly as United's players were put through their paces

The former Sporting boss watched on keenly as United’s players were put through their paces

During the session, Amorim appeared to select his strongest available team against a young opposition.

Amorim used a 3-4-3 formation during the majority of his 231 games in charge of Sporting and it appears as though he is keen to stick with that system. 

Footage from Monday’s training session was shared via United’s social media channels and it left eagle-eyed fans intrigued by what they saw.

One fan, an X (formerly Twitter) user with the handle ‘@utdrobbo’, was adamant that he had worked out the exact line-up of Amorim’s apparent ‘Team A’ on Monday.

After studying various clips, he deemed that Amorim had gone with Yoro, Jonny Evans and Shaw as his back three.

The midfield four was seemingly Antony, Casemiro, Mainoo and Tyrell Malacia, with Amad Diallo, Rashford and Mason Mount as the three most attacking players.

Many United fans responded to @utdrobbo, commanding him on his research, while multiple comments welcomed the idea of Rashford playing centrally as a No 9. 

It is highly unlikely that the 10 outfield players who teamed up in training will all start against Ipswich on Sunday in Amorim’s first game in charge.

Marcus Rashford (right) was among the stars involved, after being left out of England's squad

Marcus Rashford (right) was among the stars involved, after being left out of England’s squad

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, 32, also took part in Monday's training session in Manchester

Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, 32, also took part in Monday’s training session in Manchester

Summer signing Leny Yoro trained on Monday as he closed in on making his debut for United

Summer signing Leny Yoro trained on Monday as he closed in on making his debut for United

However, it is probable that Amorim will set up his team in a 3-4-3 shape at Portman Road.

United will start next weekend 13th in the Premier League table with just 15 points from their first 11 fixtures this season.

After taking on Ipswich, United will host Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League four days later.

United have taken six points from a possible 12 in Europe so far this term, having drawn against Twente, Porto and Fenerbahce, before beating PAOK Salonika.

Amorim gave his first interview as United boss last Friday when he spoke to MUTV. Discussing his decision to accept United’s offer, he said: ‘First of all, I think I felt a connection with the club. And when I say with the club, everybody knows Manchester United.

‘But I feel the connection with the people in the club and that is very important for me because I want to work with people that I like and I feel a connection with.’

He added: ‘The second point is the history of this club. And also I think all the people are hungry for success and I feel that this is the place that I want to be also because of that, because you can be part of something special, not just one more. And that is something that I really like.’

Amorim also spoke highly of United’s fanbase. ‘When you see the games here, the interaction with the managers, with the players, even in difficult moments, I think it is a special club,’ he said. ‘So, it’s a lot of reasons. But the first reason is because it is a club with a great history.’