So Manchester United fans may well be wondering if Ruben Amorim accidentally typed the wrong address into Google Maps when he left Porto and ended up at Old Trafford. He’s not a bad coach—far from it. The only thing is United, in their infinite panoply of genius (or otherwise), elected to hire a genius tactician at just the wrong time. I mean, it’s like inviting Gordon Ramsay into your kitchen but having only instant noodles and ketchup for him to cook with.
Manchester United promised Amorim a big project, but when he turned up for work, it looked more like a construction site, lacking blueprints and with plenty of players who still appeared lost on the synthetic turf.
A Tale of Two Formations: Ruben Amorim vs. The Boring Duck
When United’s hierarchy handed their outgoing manager a £200m transfer budget and then immediately appointed Ruben Amorim—who is as big a fan of three at the back, with wingbacks, as you’re likely to find—then the real comedy of errors began. Suppose you’re a chef and ask them to make sushi but hand them the pizza oven.
He wanted the same tactical style across all levels of the club, technical director Jason Wilcox proudly declared. That’s why United naturally hired a coach that changed things up with an entirely different system from what was put in the squad. Genius, right? That’s football logic.
Ruben Amorim’s Philosophy: Sticking to His Guns
Not the type of coach to compromise on his system, Amorim is. His philosophy is simple: instead of trying to stay within his style, the players need to adapt to his. To change his formation now would be to Michelangelo, perhaps, painting over the Sistine Chapel ceiling because someone suggested wallpaper.
“For any coach, it would be over, or it would be the end if you make changes to your ideas based on short-term results,” Amorim added. And he’s right! But Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta stuck to their guns in difficult periods. However—but it’s a big but—there’s a thin line between keeping to principle and stubbornly crashing our ship into an iceberg.
Lessons from Tottenham and Chelsea
Graham Potter is the man if you’re looking to see a case study of how not to manage managerial transitions, and Manchester United fans need to go no further than his brief time at Chelsea to see it. A brilliant coach in his own right, Potter was thrown into a club that eats their managers for breakfast. But Ruben Amorim has the feel of a man who is one of the homes, the feeling that a big club has brought you here. United desperately needs him: he has the charisma, the confidence, and the tactical acumen.
The issue, though, is timing. Midseason, Amorim took over a squad that’s not set up as well to play his style of football as a pub side trying to run Pep Guardiola’s stats.
There’s also some irony for Tottenham fans here too. But to be honest, they’ve been screaming at Ange Postecoglou that he’s not adapting mid-game. Here’s the difference between Ange and Amorim: It’s a strange stubbornness, as it comes from believing you will succeed in the long term. The long game has started, but football fans don’t have the kind of patience for it.
My Two Cents on Amorim’s United Adventure
I honestly respect Ruben Amorim’s conviction. He is the kind of manager who won’t give in to the short-term pressure. What would a manager want?? United’s board has nonetheless earned themselves a standing ovation for how they did not handle a managerial transition. They’re like they baked a cake but then had the cake ingredients left unsaid. If the right squad and time are available, Amorim’s philosophy will work. But right now? He needs more lifeboats, fast. If not, the Titanic awaits Anfield for United fans.
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