Ruben Amorim is finally getting plenty of time on the training pitch to work with his Manchester United squad.
During last season’s struggles, Ruben Amorim said he needs more time to train, especially as he joined midway through a season where Manchester United were often playing twice a week.
This pre-season, Ruben Amorim’s wish has come true, and so far it seems there is a really positive mood around United’s training under the Portuguese and his backroom staff.
Amorim won the Manager of the Tournament award at the Premier League Summer Series after leading United to win the competition, and he will hope that his work over the summer translates to success in 2025/26.
Bryan Mbeumo was shocked by Amorim’s training and the sheer intensity of his sessions, and now new details of his training methods have been shared.
Head Coach Ruben Amorim, Assistant Head Coach Carlos Fernandes of Manchester United in action during a first team training session
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim’s intense formation training in pre-season
It was clear last season that many players within the United squad struggled to fully grasp their new roles and responsibilities in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.
Amorim stubbornly stuck to his tactics last season, believing that his perseverance would help the Red Devils heading into the new campaign.
So far, the results and performances in pre-season suggest Amorim is right. The Athletic have done a deep dive into United’s training sessions this summer and highlighted one interesting drill in particular.
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They explain that Amorim has often assembled a starting XI, but placed more than one player in each position – for example, Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt stand together at centre-back, or Patrick Dorgu and Diego Leon at left wing-back.
Once the full squad is assembled, Amorim runs through different scenarios to make sure each player is shuffling into the right patch of grass for their role and position.
It helps to show each and every player exactly where they – or their counterpart – should be. When dissatisfied, Amorim will grab and move the player into the correct position.
The drill is described as being “meticulous” and often takes place around two days before a match.
Ruben Amorim’s training drill will stop rotation problems
With no European football this season, United can afford to put their full focus on the Premier League, meaning Amorim won’t have to rotate as often as he did last season.
However, with so much competition for places this season, it is crucial that Amorim feels confident chopping and changing his side and knowing what to expect from his players.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Erik ten Hag was often fearful of rotating his side as there was often a big drop in quality and style of play whenever changes were made.
READ MORE: Andre Onana pinpoints what’s changed in pre-season from Erik ten Hag to Ruben Amorim, ‘That is the key…’
But Amorim is working to rectify those issues by making sure that every player is extremely familiar with his tactics and formation.
Therefore, no matter who lines up for United, fans should know what to expect. Amorim was brought in by Ineos to implement a clear style of play, and through his “meticulous” training drills he is making sure that there is a clear identity in his squad regardless of who is on the pitch.