Ruben Amorim - Manchester United Head Coach

given the overall state of the team, I restrain from even having the opinion about him or anything he's doing. it's simply crazy how bad it is. if we lose against Liverpool as everyone is expecting, that would leave us on 4 EPL wins since september. 4 league wins in 3 months. it's actually unbelievable how rare simply winning the fecking game has become at this club :lol:

but late january, start of the february... he will have to show some results whether we buy someone or not. in particular during that 4 game run Southampton - Brighton - Fulham - Palace he should really be winning 2 and at least drawing vs Brighton and Fulham.

when he was managing Swansea, Laudrup said that he doesn't expect his players to play like Messi and Ronaldo, but everyone can be coached to do the basics right. same goes for United, it's not reasonable to expect improvements only after half the team is sold in summer (which won't happen anyway).
 
Amorim must be waking up every morning thinking, "What fresh hell awaits me today?" The poor lad probably thought he was signing up for a dream job at a prestigious club with an adoring fanbase. Instead, he walked into a pressure cooker full of unrealistic expectations (yep, that’s us), a squad that's more overpaid than overachieving, a stadium that’s falling apart, and owners who suddenly found religion in extreme budgeting. Welcome to the big leagues, buddy!

And to top it off, he’s trying to stick to his guns with a tactical style that’s about as effective with this squad as a fork is for eating soup. Oh, and let’s not forget the cherry on this disaster cake: his boss got sacked before he even had a chance to properly say hello to him!

Honestly, if he manages to steer this shipwreck back on course, forget sainthood—we should name the stadium after him, leaks and all.

:D

I wish i could like this post so please someone do it instead
 
What kind of players do you generally need for a 3-4-3 system? Are we talking a totally different physicality? Is it more mentally? I only ask because if we only sign players suited to a 3-4-3 and end up sacking Ruben, does that mean we need another clear out if the next manager doesn’t play the same system? Seems counter productive.

This post is sarcasm.
 
What kind of players do you generally need for a 3-4-3 system? Are we talking a totally different physicality? Is it more mentally? I only ask because if we only sign players suited to a 3-4-3 and end up sacking Ruben, does that mean we need another clear out if the next manager doesn’t play the same system? Seems counter productive.

This post is sarcasm.
To be fair no matter the formation our team is weak as piss physically, we are so easily bullied all over the pitch. We have so few players suited to this league in that department.
 
To be fair no matter the formation our team is weak as piss physically, we are so easily bullied all over the pitch. We have so few players suited to this league in that department.

This got worse over the last two summers as well. Mount in and McTominay out for example. I like Amad and Ugarte but they are smaller and weaker in the air than Casemiro and Rashford.

It’s been a problem for a long time that we have no obvious strengths. A player like Adama Traoré doesn’t have much talent but he’s extremely quick and strong. Others can get away with being very technically gifted while lacking some athleticism (Bernardo silva for example).

Our players tend to be in the mushy middle of not being technically brilliant and not being physical monsters. Coupled with poor decision making and it’s just not a good group.

We are going to have see major buy in to a team ethos because it’s only going to be working together with combinations and movement that can elevate individual mediocrity to better results. I think we saw some flashes of that in earlier games but this run over Christmas will have really shaken confidence both in themselves and the new coach.
 
Amorim must be waking up every morning thinking, "What fresh hell awaits me today?" The poor lad probably thought he was signing up for a dream job at a prestigious club with an adoring fanbase. Instead, he walked into a pressure cooker full of unrealistic expectations (yep, that’s us), a squad that's more overpaid than overachieving, a stadium that’s falling apart, and owners who suddenly found religion in extreme budgeting. Welcome to the big leagues, buddy!

And to top it off, he’s trying to stick to his guns with a tactical style that’s about as effective with this squad as a fork is for eating soup. Oh, and let’s not forget the cherry on this disaster cake: his boss got sacked before he even had a chance to properly say hello to him!

Honestly, if he manages to steer this shipwreck back on course, forget sainthood—we should name the stadium after him, leaks and all.
Completely agree with this. Given everything that is going on (and wrong), if his only way to go through it is to stick to his plan and footballing principles … so be it, he shouldn’t be judged after a couple of months, just because fans are overcompensating for previous managers being afforded too long.
 
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As well as all this focus on getting the system functioning properly, I'd like to see Amorim judged on whether he can get some of our underperforming players back up to standard.

Can he get Mainoo playing like one of the brightest young talents in the game again? Can he get Martinez back to his best? Can he turn back the clock with Bruno?

Ultimately, we won't be able to scrap the whole squad so he'll need to find a way to improve the players he already has.
 
Depends how long a streak I guess.

What would constitute "adapting"? What does he need to sacrifice that would lead to better results? I feel that he's managing the team the only way he knows how.
Adapt the tactics to suit to the players he has, it's quite evident the players are struggling to adapt to what Amorim wants, so the manager will have to adapt his principles, maybe play four at the back, or if it has to be a 3/5 then mix up the midfield, play three in the middle.

The issue is he isn't flexible on what he wants so far, which is leading to the mistakes and general poor play.
 
Actually that's a valid point.


Villas-Boas signed a deal to become the new manager of Porto on 2 June 2010. Two months later, he won his first trophy as a manager when Porto defeated Benfica 2–0 to win the Portuguese Supercup.Villas-Boas went on to immense success with Porto, leading the team to an undefeated season in the Primeira Liga—only the second time this had ever been achieved—and winning the title by more than 20 points, having conceded only 13 goals all season. Villas-Boas went on to follow up this success by leading Porto to win both the Portuguese Cup and the UEFA Europa League, thus completing a treble in his first season in charge. By doing so, Villas-Boas became the third-youngest coach ever to win the Primeira Liga (behind Mihály Siska in 1939 and Juca in 1962) and the youngest manager ever to win a European competition, at the age of 33 years and 213 days. On 21 June 2011, Villas-Boas tendered his resignation as Porto manager.

Joined Chelsea sacked the same year.
Its pretty remarkable how quickly his career at the top ended after that. After the obligatory Spurs spell he was coaching Zenit in '14.
 
To be fair no matter the formation our team is weak as piss physically, we are so easily bullied all over the pitch. We have so few players suited to this league in that department.
That is my point. Everyone is driving the point that we need players to fit a 3-4-3. We need players that work hard and know how to execute basic concepts. Not players that trot around aimlessly or constantly turn over the ball with fancy flicks and inaccurate passes or dribble into defenders every fecking time they get the chance.
 
It started going bad when he moved amad further up the pitch, we lose an attacking threat on the right by doing this. It’s no surprise that when Amad was playing RWB we scored goals. Amorim just needs to make a few adjustments to see him through the season.
I'm also confused by the dropping of Amad but its deeper than that. Amad at rwb wouldn't have saved us against Newcastle, Bournemouth or Spurs.

Everyone including Pep and Klopp has gone through this. Seems unavoidable. Have to just grit your teeth and hope Amorim learns his lessons quickly.
Amorim in the league so far: Played 8 Lost 5

Klopp first season: Played 29 Lost 8

Pep First Season: Played 38 Lost 6


There's going through it then there's whatever we're doing now.
 
Its pretty remarkable how quickly his career at the top ended after that. After the obligatory Spurs spell he was coaching Zenit in '14.
In hindsight he should've accepted the Real offer he allegedly had after the 2013 season instead of sticking around at Spurs and getting sacked a few months later.
 
Amorim in the league so far: Played 8 Lost 5

Klopp first season: Played 29 Lost 8

Pep First Season: Played 38 Lost 6


There's going through it then there's whatever we're doing now.
I’m pretty sure they was left with better conditions though. Klopp had a tough rebuild with Liverpool to be fair but they’ve never really had a toxic environment like we have for years. Aslong as the toxics here and the bad recruitment then we ain’t succeeding.
 
If we had no funds to spend in January then why did we go for a manager that plays a different system to 4-2-3-1 in the first halve of the season when our squad clearly don’t suit it right now?
 
I’m pretty sure they was left with better conditions though. Klopp had a tough rebuild with Liverpool to be fair but they’ve never really had a toxic environment like we have for years. Aslong as the toxics here and the bad recruitment then we ain’t succeeding.
Pep was. Klopps Liverpool is arguable.

I agree the conditions are bad but the team is not a 7 losses in 11 games team. Not for ETH, not for Mourinho, not for Amorim. He has to start doing better and asap.
 
I like Amorim, he seems polite, smart and hands on in his coaching style. He also seems like a good “talker” in press conferences and media. But. I think he was all too inexperienced to take on this role. He had managed a couple of years in Portugal, that’s it.

I really think we needed an old and calm type of manager who players could feel comfortable with. A Ranieri kind of manager. Someone who has been around, seen stuff and could take the pressure off the players.

Now they instead have to rethink the whole situation again, play a new system who a guy from Portugal suddenly says is the best way of playing. The same type of guy from Holland sad the same thing a coupe of years ago.

Both Ole and, Ruud to some extent, took the pressure off and let the players play. I know that may not be a long term fix, but they did fix the mood and the confidence in the players. I can’t say that I see more confident players at the moment, rather scared and frustrated ones.

To think Amorim ideas will get through in the end is just one way of how this story may end, the players may instead feel disoriented for far too long and the cause will be lost before it even started.
 
Winning the Portuguese Portuguese league twice and breaking up the stranglehold of Porto and Benfica is actually more of note than anything Poch has ever done.

The Portuguese league is 7th best league in Europe, players like Joao Felix and Darwin Núñez dominate the league, and then struggle when they move to a more competitive league.
 
Pep was. Klopps Liverpool is arguable.

I agree the conditions are bad but the team is not a 7 losses in 11 games team. Not for ETH, not for Mourinho, not for Amorim. He has to start doing better and asap.
Could say the same about city aswell. There not a 5 losses in a row team. Not by a long shot but when somethings not right, maybe in the training camp then anything can go wrong. Alls it takes is a couple of bad egos and the environment and team spirit is gone.
 
I think he was all too inexperienced to take on this role. He had managed a couple of years in Portugal, that’s it.
Winning multiple trophies in the process. He knows how to win football games.
Both Ole and, Ruud to some extent, took the pressure off and let the players play.
Vastly experienced Ole who managed in Norway and Wales, or vastly experienced Ruud who had one role for a few months, in Holland like the previous manager.
the cause will be lost before it even started.
Well if that’s the attitude we take - yes probably!
 
Seriously?! Which rock have you been sleeping under?
The one were winning the 7th best league in Europe is not enough to get the Manchester United job.

Now that's the dumbest thing I've read all year. But I do like the confidence.

Considering Pochettino's achievements at Spurs and PSG, along with the significant step up in quality from Amorim's previous league to this one, it is accurate to say he has accomplished very little in
the big leagues.
 
Ah, ok. I don't think you're ever going to win with him though. I'm sure he'd be doing fine with us currently, but he isn't someone who is going to compete for the title. Someone who can take us to top 4, but it's not an ambitious appointment. We want to win.

Which we have been "close" to a grand total of once since 2013 - under Ole in the midst of a pandemic. Given that our manager announced us as in danger of getting into a relegation battle, I'm not sure "title challenger" is an appropriate criteria for our manager at the moment.
 
Which we have been "close" to a grand total of once since 2013 - under Ole in the midst of a pandemic. Given that our manager announced us as in danger of getting into a relegation battle, I'm not sure "title challenger" is an appropriate criteria for our manager at the moment.
But why consciously go for a manager who you know has a very obvious ceiling? We know what Pochettino is about. It's putting a limit on our ambitions.
 
Ah, ok. I don't think you're ever going to win with him though. I'm sure he'd be doing fine with us currently, but he isn't someone who is going to compete for the title. Someone who can take us to top 4, but it's not an ambitious appointment. We want to win.

I would rather have a stable base than waste another year on the potential that may never come good and then have to start again.
 
I'm all in for Amorim but I do wonder if we cannot just do a more conventional set up with like a 4231 until we get some wingbacks in the summer. He's not abandoning his style permanently but just for this season. Then during the summer we can train whoever remains, and get some players that fit his system. I only think this is a good idea because we are absolute tripe at the moment.
 
Winning multiple trophies in the process. He knows how to win football games.

Vastly experienced Ole who managed in Norway and Wales, or vastly experienced Ruud who had one role for a few months, in Holland like the previous manager.

Well if that’s the attitude we take - yes probably!
In a league he had vast experience and knowledge off.

Sure, but both were United legends who knows the club and the league.

I hope he pulls through and we start looking like his Sporting side, that would be lovely. But if we don’t starting winning the players confidence levels will continue to drop and the performance often follows. Further, if we don’t starting winning the money will soon start to vanish with big sponsors choosing other teams and Europe will be nothing but a long lost memory.
 
But why consciously go for a manager who you know has a very obvious ceiling? We know what Pochettino is about. It's putting a limit on our ambitions.

Because stable top 4 for a few years gives us lots and lots of money to improve the squad to the point where there is every chance that the quality of the squad will be enough to make up for "the ceiling".
 
Which we have been "close" to a grand total of once since 2013 - under Ole in the midst of a pandemic. Given that our manager announced us as in danger of getting into a relegation battle, I'm not sure "title challenger" is an appropriate criteria for our manager at the moment.
Ey, Nuno has taken forest from 17th to 2nd/3rd in the league. Anything is possible.
 
Could say the same about city aswell. There not a 5 losses in a row team. Not by a long shot but when somethings not right, maybe in the training camp then anything can go wrong. Alls it takes is a couple of bad egos and the environment and team spirit is gone.
Unfortunately Amorim doesn't have winning 4 leagues in a row prior to this to fall back on. Even then if it continues at City Pep will be gone, despite his credit in the bank.
 
I would rather have a stable base than waste another year on the potential that may never come good and then have to start again.
Pragmatic. It's all very safe but you aren't going to get anywhere. The time to bring Pochettino in was either following Van Gaal or after Ole's interim stint. I guess it's just a bit of a depressing thought - appointing a manager who you have no faith in taking you to the top.