Ruben Amorim insisted from day one that Manchester United would be a team with his ‘fingerprints’ all over it from their very first outing under Erik ten Hag’s replacement.
And the youngest permanent manager in Manchester United’s history has been as good as his word.
Ruben Amorim wasted little time deploying his 3-4-2-1 system against Ipswich Town. And while his Red Devils debut may have ended in an underwhelming draw, the next two matches at home to Bodo/Glimt and Everton appear to have set Man United up pretty nicely for the midweek trip to Arsenal.
An Arsenal side managed, of course, by another who took charge of a bonafide European giant when his age still began with the number three.
The are, of course, some pretty obvious differences between Mikel Arteta and Ruben Amorim.
While Arteta was learning his trade as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City – Arsenal his first sole job in management – Amorim arrives having lifted six trophies in five years in the respective dugouts of Braga and Sporting Lisbon.
Yet, there are some similarities too.
Like Arteta, Ruben Amorim possesses a clear, coherent gameplan. He excels in his communication, and brings with him a natural, self-assured charisma but also a fierce will to win, as well as hair that seems impervious to the signs of ageing.
And Arteta knows that, ahead of Wednesday’s clash at the Emirates Stadium, his Arsenal will face Manchester United looking very different from the one Erik ten Hag led to eighth place last term.
Mikel Arteta of Arsenal FC, Ruben Amorim of Sporting CP compliment each other prior to the UEFA Europa League round of 16 leg one match between Spo...
Photo by Joao Rico/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
MORE UNITED STORIES
Mikel Arteta hails Ruben Amorim before Arsenal vs Manchester United
“Obviously, you can see his fingerprints and what he wants to do straight away,” Arteta said during his Tuesday press conference. “He has been clear. He has been very successful at Sporting.
“It was remarkable what he achieved there, especially the way he did it and how his team was playing. He brings energy and ideas to a new club. That’s always something positive. But we have to focus on what we have to do.”
Man United have scored seven goals in their last two matches under Amorim. Rasmus Hojlund’s brace saw off Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League, while Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee netted twice against Everton each.
That is the biggest difference thus far between Ten Hag’s Man United and Ruben Amorim’s Man United. A frontline suddenly flowing with confidence and goals, utilised in their most effective positions and repaying Amorim’s faith with considerable early interest.
Amorim has already stunned Arteta once while Sporting manager
Arteta, meanwhile, knows from experience what an Amorim team looks like.
His Sporting outfit stunned Arsenal in the Europa League back in 2023. Pedro ‘Pote’ Goncalves stunning finish from the half-way line, and an eventual victory in the penalty shootout, ensured that Sporting would progress at The Gunners’ expense.
Arteta, meanwhile, was also asked what piece of advice he would give to the man he faces for the second time this week.
“How unpredictable this job is,” was Arteta’s response. “I jumped in in the middle of the [2019/20] season in very special circumstances and then we got hit by Covid.
“You can plan whatever you want, but football takes you in any direction. You can never imagine and you have to deal with it. Take it as it comes, face it and go for it.”
Related Posts