Ruben Amorim’s start at Manchester United has been full of moments of excitement that promise a better future while making it clear how long there is still to go.
It is understandable and a challenge Ruben Amorim would have been well aware of which is why he has been nothing but supportive and encouraging of his players.
He hasn’t been afraid of calling out where they lack but in a constructive way instead of piling on and throwing his players under the bus.
That is a style of management modern players probably respond well to, which is where his young age as a manager and its advantages are coming to the fore.
He has now singled out one player for his performance vs Bodo which fans might not agree with, but he’s doing exactly what he said it would.
Ruben Amorim praises Tyrell Malacia
Tyrell Malacia made his first Man Utd appearance after nearly 18 months vs Bodo and did so by being thrown straight into the deep end.
Unlike Luke Shaw, who has been building up his minutes with minutes off the bench, Malacia started straightaway and played for 45 minutes.
His match fitness situation means that he likely would have been subbed off at halftime anyway but Malacia’s performance vs Bodo did him no favours either.
He was outpaced for Bodo’s second goal and while he showed bravery and commitment in spades, it was clear that his body was not allowing him to do what his mind wanted.
Regardless, Amorim has praised him for his performance now with some glowing words.
Amorim said: “It was really huge for him [Malacia] and the confidence of everybody. I think he did very well. He was more than a year without playing and the way he behaved he was so brave with the ball. I’m really happy with him.”
Amorim has started doing what he said he would do
Amorim has been extremely forthcoming and charismatic in his interviews so far as Man Utd manager but more importantly, he was walked the too.
Be it his complete commitment to his formation and style of play, living up to his promise of bringing an identity, or standing by his players through thick and thin.
Right away in his first press conference, Amorim started off by saying that maybe the media didn’t believe in the players but he did.
It is the type of siege mentality that Sir Alex Ferguson built his strongest teams on and his praise for Malacia falls right in line with that thinking.
That is because Malacia clearly struggled and was targeted by fans and pundits alike for being a shadow of his former self on his return.
That is understandable after such a long layoff but the football landscape is rarely that forgiving nowadays, especially at Old Trafford where you’re only as good as your last game.
This situation provided Amorim the perfect opportunity to back his player publicly when the “world is against him”, so to speak. As a result, expect Malacia to run through brick walls for him in the future.
That is the type of culture he cultivated in Portugal and the starting signs of the same are starting to show in Manchester.
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