If points were handed out for confidence and self-belief, then Ruben Amorim would be leading Manchester United to the top of the table in rapid time.
In one press conference lasting less than 25 minutes, Amorim exuded more charisma than Erik ten Hag managed in two-and-a-half miserable years. But what Amorim has to do now is get more wins and trophies than his predecessor managed.
But unlike Ten Hag, the impressive Portuguese appears to have a plan and vision in place to succeed. Resurrecting the fallen giants of English football is no mean feat. But Amorim believes he is the right man to do it.
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There were no bold declarations about winning the title, just a calm and considered explanation of what he must do if he is to turn United into a major force again. The 39-year-old is the sixth permanent United boss since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
That was also the last time United were crowned champions of England. United have not even come close to contending for the title ever since, let alone win it. And this is despite them trying every profile of manager in a bid to be successful again.
(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
From David Moyes – chosen by Ferguson – to decorated bosses like Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, to those with the club in their blood like former favourite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Ultimately all of them failed and now it is the turn of Amorim, who was asked what makes him convinced he can succeed where other coaches, with many more titles than him, have not.
He said: “Here you have had different types of coaches. The guys who won everything like Van Gaal and Mourinho, then new ones who knew the club inside out, like Solskjaer, and one of the best there will ever be outside of the five strongest leagues, in Ten Hag. So I don’t know.
“We have to improve as a club. We need time and every coach that comes here needs time, but we must acknowledge also that we have to win games. So I don’t have answers for that. You’ve had different type of coaches, but the same result. We will try to do it our way and my way.”
The first change Amorim will make is to set up United in the same 3-4-3 formation which served him so well at Sporting Lisbon. United’s players will have to adapt to Amorim’s approach, with the new man in charge underlining his authority early on by warning any dissenters or those who do not buy into his methods will be discarded.
He said: “As a coach, you have to choose one way or another. I choose always 100% our way. I prefer to risk a little bit and since the first day, I believe so much in our way of playing that they will believe, too.
“So there are no second doubts, no second way. It’s one way and we are going to do it. We will adapt some players, because we don’t have the right profile and this team was built for a different system.
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“But it’s the same thing playing with five or four, the principles are the same. The positioning is a little bit different. Maybe on Sunday you will see the starting line-up and not feel a lot of change.
“But you will feel it in the game, during the positioning, in the way they receive the ball and covering the ball, you will see some changes. We will play a different type of football. We have our ideas, I’m not saying these are the best ideas, but it’s our way of seeing football. It’s not evolution or revolution, it’s a change in the way we play football.”
And just like that Amorim headed out of the room to continue planning for Sunday. The hard work starts here, for Amorim and United’s under-performing stars, who are in for a major shock if their new boss is true to his word.