Ruben Amorim will have just 48 hours to work with a full Manchester United squad ahead of his managerial debut in Ipswich.
Amorim’s preparations ahead of his first game as United boss have been disrupted by the recent international break. He took to the training pitches of Carrington earlier this week with a skeleton squad available, albeit one which still included Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro.
Amorim is also boosted by the return to full training of summer signing Leny Yoro, who has spent the season so far sidelined through injury. But with those on international duty not asked to report back to United until Thursday, Amorim will have little time to put those plans in place aimed at making a winning start to his reign at Portman Road.
Yet news emerging from Amorim’s training sessions so far suggests the Portuguese is keen to introduce at United those same philosophies which earned him so much success and respect with Sporting Lisbon.
Amorim is regarded as one of the brightest young coaches in Europe. He put his stars through a series of drills, before setting up a practice match. This resulted in Amorim selecting his strongest side in a 3-4-3 formation, which took on a younger opposition.
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Amorim used the same formation for most of his 231 games in charge of Sporting, and it saw them win five trophies and two league titles. The club’s first championships for almost two decades.
Yoro, Jonny Evans and Shaw lined up in the back three. The midfield consisted of Mainoo, Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia and Antony, while Rashford was central in a front three also including Amad Diallo and Mason Mount.
Amorim’s starting XI at Ipswich will not be the same as this one. But it’s safe to assume he will choose the same formation, as he begins his quest to turn around the fortunes of the fallen giants.
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(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
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United travel to Suffolk slumped in 13th place in the league table, with just five wins from their opening 11 games. After taking on Ipswich, United host Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League four days later.
And Amorim will not get the privilege of a managerial honeymoon. These don’t exist at a club with the expectations and pressures United have. Something he will learn quickly, and have to manage even faster.
But at least Amorim can take heart from data which reveals United receive a 29 per cent improvement in points-per-game after appointing a new manager. Since David Moyes replaced Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, United managers have secured an average of 1.8 points per game in their first five league outings, up from 1.4 under their predecessor’s final five matches.
United fans will hope to see a similar bounce under Amorim’s leadership. Amorim is said to have been relaxed and smiling during training this week. But whether this remains the case will depend on one thing above all else – results.