Ruben Amorim has arrived at Manchester United with a promise of hope and expectation after many false dawns since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
The reason behind the hope is that Amorim is walking into a Manchester United that, for the first time, has an executive structure to support him.
He is Ineos’ first appointment and they’ve bet their legacy on him so while that undoubtedly adds pressure, he’s also lucky in that regard.
That’s more support than any manager has had since arriving at Old Trafford so he’s already off to a better start than the previous Portuguese at the helm, Jose Mourinho.
However, his managerial idol is not Mourinho, and the person who is has now spoken on his move to United, with him wishing for one thing that Amorim has already started with!
Jorge Jesus on Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd move
It has already been reportedly previously that while he respects Jose Mourinho’s impact in opening doors for Portuguese coaches, Amorim’s managerial idol is Jorge Jesus.
Jesus, not at the helm of Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, is widely regarded as one of the most influential Portuguese managers of all time.
Unlike Mourinho, who has somewhat of a defensive-minded reputation, Jesus has always looked to score more than the opposition, an identity Amorim resonates more with.
The incoming Man Utd manager has already spoken to Jesus ahead of starting the job, as the man himself revealed, and now Jesus has sent him a public message on the move.
Jesus spoke at the Quinas de Ouro ceremony and said he has one big hope for Amorim at Old Trafford.
He said (via Zerozero): “What I hope is that [Rúben Amorim] has as much luck as he had at Sporting. I’ve already had the opportunity to express my thoughts to him. He was the player who worked with me the longest and I wish him the best of luck in the world.”
Jesus worked with Amorim when he was playing for Benfica where, coincidentally, Victor Lindelof was Amorim’s teammate!
That time has undoubtedly played a huge role in shaping Amorim as a manager which is why he considers the 70-year-old as his idol in the game. As for Jesus’ wish for him, he will need that and more since a lot is expected from him at United. Here’s a microcosm of what to expect from him at the beginning.
Ruben Amorim at Man Utd: What to expect
Amorim’s first game in charge will be against a man familiar to United in Kieran McKenna. Ipswich are coming off a high, beating Spurs at their own ground so that’s hardly a soft landing.
Expect Amorim to bring his three-at-the-back system immediately and since he’s a believer in rotation, also expect players who worked with him throughout the international break to have a higher chance of being selected due to increased familiarity.
That bodes well for Marcus Rashford, who can spend two weeks with Amorim after not being selected for international duty.
Amorim has already put his foot down by making some tough decisions, like sending Ruud van Nistelrooy on his way as he brings his own staff.
Regardless of what the result is, expect United to finally have an identity and a recognisable style of play after pondering over this question for more than the last decade.
After that, he will need a healthy dose of what Jesus wishes for him, which is luck, but as of now, all the right noises are coming out of the club.
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