New Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim has started in his new role after leaving Sporting Lisbon, with the Portuguese coach tipped to be their very own ‘Special One’
Ruben Amorim has been backed to take fallen giants Manchester United back to the top of English football and prove himself their own ‘Special One’.
Amorim has started work as Erik ten Hag’s successor, after leaving Sporting Lisbon to take on the challenge of reviving the 20-time English champions.
The 39-year-old faces a huge task, with United’s last Premier League title triumph coming back in 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson brought the curtain down on his glittering reign.
But former Arsenal, Chelsea and France midfielder Emmanuel Petit reckons Amorim is the man to finally turn United into a major force again, where a succession of managers – including self-titled Special One Jose Mourinho – failed before him.
Despite his belief in Amorim, Petit warned the new man in charge at Old Trafford that he is taking over a “monster” club that is bigger than anything he has encountered before in his managerial career.
“The new guy that’s going in there, Amorim, he’s been great in Portugal,” said Petit. “But this is a big, big job. It’s a big step up. I know Lisbon are a huge club in Portugal, but Manchester United are a monster. Amorim has been doing an amazing job with Sporting in Portugal.
“Jose Mourinho was the same, remember, when he left Portugal. The same questions were asked about him. Can he do it in the Premier League?
“He won many trophies. He was one of the best managers for at least a decade. I won’t say that Amorim will change United’s fortunes straight away.
“With what’s happening at United, it will take time, but I have the feeling that he can change a few things this season and start to build towards success.
“I remember when he came to the club as a manager, the club was struggling financially, as well as on the pitch. They were not there on the pitch and they were not there off the pitch.
“They were struggling in so many ways and, in many ways, there are a lot of parallels that you could draw between Lisbon and United – only United are bigger.
“From the start, he did a great job. He got inside the club, the spine of the club, and he quickly established the way he wants his team to play, a typical 3-4-3.
“Most importantly, he has put Sporting inside the rivalry between Porto and Benfica. Those two clubs have been winning titles for ages and dominating Portuguese football. ”
Petit claimed Amorim is the polar opposite of Ten Hag in terms of his management style and in the way he approaches every facet of the job.
“In terms of communication, he’s the complete opposite of Ten Hag,” said Petit, speaking to Instant Casino. “He’s always explaining what he wants to do with his team in a press conference. He’s never hiding. There’s going to be something very new, tactically as well. Is he going to play with three at the back with United? I want to see that, because he’s been playing with this system for years and he’s been winning with it.
“If you look at the squad at United and you look at the tactics he wants to play, that can be something good for United. “I think he can also give United fans something that they’ve been waiting ages for – attacking football.
“He can get them to play the way they used to, with attacking players who come at the opponent like waves. That’s exactly how he plays with Sporting. If you look at Sporting, they’re very enjoyable to watch. He needs to bring back the joy at United. He needs to bring back the joy on the pitch and, if he can do that, he can change things.”
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