Square pegs in round holes are a common talking point at Manchester United as Ruben Amorim continues to build his tactical ideals in the North West.
The 40-year-old coach is famed for his scintillating brand of structured, possessive football that dictates play and overwhelms the opposition. Having amassed an average win ratio of 73.91% throughout four roles before his move to England, it’s safe to say he has enjoyed a fair share of success.
But 18 games into his Manchester journey, the Lisbon native has endured a tumultuous period at Old Trafford with a plethora of underwhelming results. Inevitably, questions have begun to surface.
However, despite occupying a position in the lower half of the table, there are undeniable green shoots on display. Supporters are witnessing a continuation of his desired lineup and strategy, with notable performances and results coming against Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Furthermore, the Portuguese chief is beginning to establish his trusted lieutenants, and images of his famed Sporting structure are becoming clearer weekly.
Following Thursday’s win against FCSB in the Europa League, what can football fans anticipate for the remainder of this bewilderingly underwhelming campaign?
Pedro Varela is a lifelong Sporting supporter who has lived Amorim’s evolution in real-time. Shaun Connolly picked the brain of the man who knows all too well the benefits of supporting the vision of the former Leoes genius.
This is not the first time that Amorim moved mid-season
Europe has proven an advantageous battleground during a traumatic period, but routine domestic struggles are undeniable. Manchester United supporters appreciate his situation (mostly), considering the lack of time to implement his structure.
But how did the Sporting fanbase and hierarchy handle a similar situation?
In his first year at Sporting, having arrived mid-season, he did not face the pressure that would have been natural if he had started from scratch. Management was prepared to give him enough time and quality reinforcements for the new season, allowing him to build a team capable of competing for the title.
One of Ruben Amorim’s most outstanding traits is his communication – the fans noticed this very early on.
Given that Sporting had been constantly changing coaches in recent years, even under this management, and Amorim’s ability to show results despite not having built the team himself, everything was set up for the following season to be the actual starting point – with no excuses not to win the championship. And that’s precisely what happened!
An appreciation of a clear philosophy
English supporters admire his passion and desire to stick to his guns while developing a style and ethos of his doing. He appears adamant about maintaining this and has highlighted an unwillingness to change.
Unfortunately, Manchester United does not have much money to spend. So, when he began seeing the fruits of his labour in Portugal, did this come through carefully acquired players, youth promotions, existing squad members or a combination of all?
If he doesn’t already, Amorim will clearly know how he wants everything to be implemented as it was at Sporting. When I think that Erik ten Hag spent 300 or 400 million, I believe that with half of that (just a number), Ruben would be capable of building a team that plays much better than United has shown in recent years.
He will be strict about what he wants, whether in positions or the type of players. As he did at Sporting, he may look to the youth academy as a compliment. Still, they must show quality and discipline (look what he did to Fatawu, now at Leicester).
However, the foundation must always be based on what he sees as the playing philosophy he wants for United, with players he trusts to achieve the management’s objectives.
Backing a vision can return the ultimate reward
Can you see similarities between his current predicament in England and his time with Sporting? If so, was there a particular turning point during his memorable journey?
It’s not easy, even though it may seem similar. The obvious challenge is the Premier League’s quality, which explains why Man Utd is in its current position. In Portugal, even when Sporting played very poorly, they still finished 4th – which is, of course, terrible.
The turning point for Sporting was the summer transfer window. The signings that arrived that year – Pedro Goncalves, Nuno Santos, Feddal, for example – and later, in January, Paulinho, were crucial for the titles Sporting won.
What United needs to do, particularly Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is give Amorim time to show results with a squad built to his liking. For me, that will be the turning point for United – either for the better, which I hope for, or for the worse, which would be a bad sign.
Particular players are essential to accommodate his ethos
Are there any players in this Sporting squad that you feel could act as a catalyst for change within this Manchester United team?
We know of links to the likes of Geovany Quenda and Viktor Gyokeres, but are there more suitable options to address the issues in his current group?
Well… Gyokeres would fit well with Amorim because he knows him well. Quenda could bring some magic, but I don’t think he would be a priority for Amorim.
He would be more interested in a quality centre-back like Inacio, as he highly values a solid defence. Another player he would undoubtedly like to see at United is Goncalves. He is a standout player with excellent quality and a strong presence in attacking plays – whether scoring goals or creating them.
Dorgu is a sign of things to come, and United fans should be excited!
With Patrick Dorgu on the cusp of a move to the North West, he will become Amorim’s first signing at the club. Is he the type of player you would have expected the 40-year-old to pursue at Sporting, and how would you see him fitting in at Manchester United?
It could be… in fact, as it’s easy to observe, Nordic players were very successful when Amorim was at Sporting. And similar to Diomande, another position, but he was in Denmark.
Despite Lecce playing in a 4-3-3, those three up front are very similar to the teams that Amorim sets up in 3-4-3, explosive players who can extend the team’s offensive capacity and drift toward the centre of the field.
At Sporting, Edwards used to do this a lot (later, Edwards began to decline in quality for other personal reasons).
He requires time and understanding in the most uninspiring of situations
Finally, with everything occurring in Manchester, do you think he can achieve his goals when considering the squad, the financial scenario and the expectations placed on immediate success at Old Trafford?
It’s not easy to give an answer.
It depends on United’s financial constraints. If it reaches a point where Amorim cannot, at this stage, bring in four or five new players to the current team, it won’t be easy at all.
I’ve watched United’s games for over 30 years now, and I can’t remember seeing a team play so poorly. I find myself thinking that sometimes, starting at 11, there are so many players who couldn’t play at Sporting and that says it all!
Crystal Palace make the trip to the North West for our latest domestic outing in the Premier League on Sunday. The Old Trafford faithful will hope to build on the momentum that has seen three wins from as many outings.
How do you feel about this insight from a man who has lived the journey of Ruben Amorim in Portugal? Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
You can connect with Pedro on Twitter for insightful conversations about Sporting and Manchester United.
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