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Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has promised fans that “they will see an idea” of the type of football he wants to implement at the club, as early as his first match against Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town on November 24.
Amorim arrived at United on Monday to officially take over from interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has since departed.
A day later, Amorim was pictured meeting some of his United players including Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo, Leny Yoro, Mason Mount and Toby Collyer.
Amorim had his first sit-down with club media and delved at length into what supporters can expect to see when his maiden starting XI takes to pitch against the Tractor Boys in slightly more than a week’s time.
The 39-year-old said, “I think you will see an idea. You could like it or not, I don’t know, but you will see an idea. You will see a positioning. You will see something that we want to reach that kind of level. You will feel that.”
“We have to know that it’s like two trainings before the first match. This is the best league in the world. But if I have to say something to you, [it’s that] you will see an idea. This I can guarantee.”
“A lot of people now talk about the 3-4-3 and the 4-3-3 and all that stuff. But when I think as a player or as a team-mate of Manchester United, it is not a system or formation – it’s like the character of the players, the way they see the club. So we have to focus on that before everything [in terms] of how we play, how we press. The most important thing for me, at this moment, is to create the principles, the identity and the character that we had in the past.”
Amorim stressed that it’s important for United to immediately win their games despite needing time to get his ideas across the board.
“To win time is to win games but the most important thing for me is identity. So, since day one, we didn’t start training, we didn’t have the players. But, since day one, we will start with our identity. Of course, we are going to prepare [for] the games, but we will focus a lot in our game model.”
“How to play, how to press, these small things, small details. You cannot go 100 per cent on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. So if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, is identity.”
When asked to summarise his football philosophy in one word, Amorim said, “Team.”
“If you work as a team, then the talent individually is going to shine. But if I have to explain the importance of everything, it is the character – the way we fight, the way we play, and we must have an identity. We have to. If our players take the shirt, they will know that it is the Manchester United team.”
“Everybody thinks the same – running back, playing, enjoying [it]. This is what drives me. I can say the popular thing, which is to win. Everybody wants to win and I want to win with my players, with the fans but with an identity and one idea, that is the thing that I am focused on all the time.”
Amorim revealed that chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth each played a crucial role in his decision to seal a switch to Old Trafford.
According to the Portuguese coach, he instantly felt a connection to the club and believes his ambitions and aims align with those of the hierarchy.
Amorim also highlighted United’s illustrious history and the existing hunger for success as other factors that motivated his passion to take over the reins of the team.
On his recent trip to the Theatre of Dreams, he stated, “When you come here, it’s so different. You see the trophies, you see the tragedy that we have as a club. The history, the way that someone that saved us at the moment. So you can understand the history, after the crash, then we were European champions.”
“This kind of strength, I think it is important to put in our team. When the players come here, they should make the same tour with the same guy all the time. I think this is very important to do. It is one thing that you have to feel: that this is Manchester United and it’s normal.”
“If you are a lot of years without winning, you start losing that. So you have to be very clear on the message that you want to put on the players.”
He emphasised the importance of getting the players to to the same things so that they can regain the feeling of being on top.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images