Lisandro Martinez’s return helps Man Utd and Ruben Amorim off the pitch as well as on it, and after what the manager did to aid his player, there’s a sense of deja vu.
For most Man Utd managers, being compared to Erik ten Hag is not a very good thing, but it’s clear that despite the sad ending, there were shoots of optimism.
The way he championed the youth academy (something which Ruben Amorim can borrow from!), or the way he inspired the players after his wretched start to the season, are memorable moments.
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Ruben Amorim in Manchester United attire during loss to Everton.
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
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The latter, in particular, was a turning point for his tenure, and what he did then is being compared to what Amorim did for Lisandro Martinez during his injury recovery process.
Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, throws the ball back to Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Southampton FC at Old Trafford on January 16, 2025
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Ruben Amorim goes above and beyond for Lisandro Martinez
It is no secret that Amorim really rates Martinez, not just for his ability on the pitch, but also for his personality that demands standards from those around him.
It’s why he’s a part of the leadership group at Old Trafford, and regularly travelled with the team even when he was out injured.
The personal interest he took in his recovery can be summed up by The Athletic’s report, which states that Amorim ran with Martinez after the first-team training session finished.
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The report states that Amorim accompanied Martinez on the 3 km runs despite overseeing the first-team training in hot weather during pre-season.
That kind of solidarity goes a long way towards making a player completely buy into the project, and is reminiscent of the sense of loyalty Amorim commanded at Sporting.
Should Lisandro Martinez be an automatic starter for Man Utd? Whose place does he take?
Lisandro Martinez in the gym
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It can also be compared to Ten Hag’s finest moment as the Man Utd manager, when a single run of 13.8 km changed everything.
Amorim’s gesture compared to Erik ten Hag
It was before the third game of the 2022/23 season, and the knives were already out for Erik ten Hag, who had lost the first two games to Brighton and Brentford handsomely.
Up next was Liverpool at Old Trafford, and it looked like he’d rival Frank de Boer for being the quickest sacking in the Premier League.
However, his team played Liverpool off the park that day in a performance that changed everything, and it later emerged that it was because of Ten Hag’s masterstroke.
As it turns out, United were outworked by their opponents by 13.8 km in the previous game, and Ten Hag made his squad run that amount in training after.
The key point? He ran it with them, thereby instilling a sense of loyalty and commitment that powered his successful debut season at the helm.
Amorim’s run of solidarity with Martinez is reminiscent of the best trait of Ten Hag, which powered his finest moment. The hope is that Amorim’s tenure turns around similarly like it did for Ten Hag.
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