A YOUNG, hungry, tactically-astute boss arrives at a fallen English giant looking to recreate the glory years enjoyed under a legendary long-serving manager.
For Ruben Amorim, read Mikel Arteta five years ago.
Ruben Amorim faces his first big test with Man Utd against Arsenal on Wednesday
Ruben Amorim faces his first big test with Man Utd against Arsenal on WednesdayCredit: PA
Mikel Arteta has built his own team and transformed Arsenal into title challengers
Mikel Arteta has built his own team and transformed Arsenal into title challengersCredit: Getty
Amorim faces his first A-list encounter as Manchester United's new boss at the Emirates on Wednesday - and the man in the home dugout can provide an excellent template for the Portuguese.
United against Arsenal was the greatest rivalry of the Premier League era in the days of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira, spats in the tunnel before kick-off, scraps on the field and pizza-flinging in the aftermath.
From Wenger’s arrival in 1997 until his Invincibles campaign seven years later, theirs was a duopoly which defined the Premier League as it expanded into a great global force.
But that was all more than two decades ago. Since the long decline of Wenger and the exit of Ferguson, both clubs have endured wilderness years.
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So under Arteta and Amorim, could Arsenal-United finally become great again?
Arteta was fearless in sweeping away the past - boldly bombing out the deadweight egos of Wenger’s latter years, such as Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Spaniard endured some seriously tough times before he rebuilt Arsenal in his own image, propelling them back into serious title contention two seasons ago.
Amorim will have to do some hard yards too. And at some point he is likely to need from Sir Jim Ratcliffe & Co the sort of patience, bordering on blind faith, which the Kroenke regime afforded to Arteta during his early years in charge.
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Arsenal vs Man Utd was the greatest Premier League rivalry during the Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson era
Arsenal vs Man Utd was the greatest Premier League rivalry during the Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson eraCredit: Getty - Contributor
United won’t be rebuilt overnight. But there are lessons to be learned from Arteta’s rise at the Emirates - brutal decisions over the futures of senior players, along with the bravery to build a team around young talent and, above all, the creation of a genuine sense of unity.
United have been united in name only for many years now.
Ruben Amorim introduces rarely-seen pre-match training tactic ahead of 4-0 thrashing of Everton
Amorim’s devotion to a 3-4-3 system is a side-issue. The ability to develop a winning mentality and a genuine chemistry within a squad is far more important, as Arteta has proved.
In essence, Arteta ripped it up and started again. Bukayo Saka is the only member of his first 18-man matchday squad who is currently at the club.
Reiss Nelson, on loan at Fulham, is the only other player still on Arsenal’s books to have featured in that 1-1 draw at Bournemouth in December 2019.
Surveying United’s current squad - the lack of specialist wing-backs, the absence of midfield dynamism or a convincing elite centre-forward - and it is easy to envisage Amorim overseeing similar wholesale changes.
Amad Diallo, the stand-out player from Amorim’s first three matches, might end up being his Saka.
Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and new signing Leny Yoro - who could make his United debut on Wednesday - are all young enough and good enough to last the course.
But if, five years from now, Amorim is presiding over a successful United side, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and many others may all well be long gone.
There are plenty of similarities between tonight’s rival bosses but many differences too.
Arteta vs Amorim
Mikel Arteta:
Games managed - 251
Wins - 152
Draws - 39
Losses - 60
Trophies:
1x FA Cup
2x Community Shield
Ruben Amorim:
Games managed - 251
Wins - 180
Draws - 35
Losses - 36
Trophies:
2x Liga Portugal
3x Portuguese League Cup
1x Portuguese Super Cup
While Arteta took over Arsenal aged 37, he possessed a deep knowledge of a club he had previously captained and a wealth of Premier League as a player and a coach, yet he had never previously managed a club.
At 39, Amorim has five trophies in as many seasons as a manager in his homeland with Braga and Sporting but no previous experience of playing or managing in any of Europe’s big five leagues.
What Arteta and Amorim share, though, is the force of personality required to take on such major jobs.
After a gentle introduction to his new job against Ipswich, Bodo-Glimt and Everton, tomorrow will give Amorim the first genuine benchmark for the over-priced, under-achieving squad he has inherited from Erik ten Hag.
Sunday’s 4-0 win over Everton was his first truly encouraging result but the scoreline masked a bang-average overall performance.
Arsenal, meanwhile, with Martin Odegaard back as the conductor, have scored 13 goals in three straight victories, including in five-goal nap hands in consecutive away matches.
To some extent, Arteta’s Arsenal are what Amorim’s United hope to be.
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Yet still the Gunners haven’t won a major trophy in four full seasons.
Which further underlines the size of the task facing Amorim.