Ruben Amorim’s arrival has arguably generated more excitement than any other manager Manchester United have hired after Sir Alex Ferguson.
Part of that is down to it being an international break so the vacuum has been filled by his arrival but the air of confidence around him has contributed too.
After complaints about Erik ten Hag’s sometimes dry demeanour and lack of “charisma”, Ruben Amorim has been a breath of fresh air.
He earned a lot of plaudits in Portugal for his way of dealing with the press as fans almost set their clocks according to Amorim’s next press conference!
With the Man Utd manager taking his first press conference on November 22, 2 PM since taking charge of the club, here are five things to watch out for
Ruben Amorim’s settling-in period
Amorim’s arrival has been planned well wherein he has taken almost two weeks to get his feet under the table without the pressure of preparing for games.
It would have allowed him to get to grips with the structure and workings at Old Trafford. How he has settled in at the club would be prime on the agenda of the press since he hasn’t had any media interaction since joining.
His trademark charisma shining through would be a huge plus because if he can get the press on his side, that would solve half of his problems because there’s just so much coverage of United every day.
The international break has afforded him the privilege that only managers who start the season at a club get and his answer to how he has settled at the club would say a lot about him and the club.
Role of Ineos structure in bringing him
Amorim namechecked Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth when he spoke about the conversations that happened leading up to his arrival.
It is no secret that Ineos have got their first-choice manager when they sacked Erik ten Hag. If Amorim can give a slight glimpse into the role of Ineos in bringing him, it would give an idea of how the executive structure is functioning.
It becomes all the more important since Amorim is United’s first “head coach” instead of “manager”, which means his role at the club will be more on the pitch than having a say in the larger running of the club.
What it will also do is tell the fans about how involved the Glazers still are at the club since they’ve been completely absent from any conversations and there hasn’t been any mention of a party that still owns nearly 75% of the club!
Man Utd’s injury situation
Three players could make their Man Utd season debuts in Amorim’s first game as the injury list has started clearing up just in time for his arrival.
All three are clearly unlikely to start but in Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, and Leny Yoro, Amorim’s full squad could look a lot healthier than it ever was for Ten Hag.
Add to that the injury situation of Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof, two victims of the international break, and it immediately becomes a hot topic of discussion.
Injuries arguably cost Ten Hag his job. Amorim would want to start on a better note and begin as he means to go along.
The Jose Mourinho question
Jose Mourinho’s days at the top might be over but the spectre of his personality still looms large not just over United, but the Premier League as a whole.
It is impossible for any Portuguese manager to arrive and not immediately be compared to “The Special One”, even more so if the new arrival has interned under Mourinho!
Mourinho is not Amorim’s managerial idol but he has been influenced a lot by him nonetheless. Mourinho was a master at using the media to his advantage although he has veered a bit more to the extreme conspiracy side these days.
The Mourinho comparisons will be impossible to shake off for Amorim to start with but with some smart answers and positive results, he will become his own man soon.
For now, expect a line on Mourinho to be the headline for many after this press conference.
Expectations for the season
This question would have probably been a moot one if Amorim had joined straight after the dumpster fire that was Ten Hag’s third season.
However, Ruud van Nistelrooy has ensured in his four interim games that United’s season is not a complete write-off. In fact, United are just four points off third in the league and are off the mark in Europe too.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 11 |  BrentfordBrentford | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 16 |
| 12 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| 13 |  Man UtdManchester United | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 15 |
| 14 |  West HamWest Ham | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 12 |
| 15 |  LeicesterLeicester | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 10 |
This is a question Amorim will undoubtedly be asked and most likely, his answer will be the typical “game by game” response that is a favourite of most managers.
However, the fans are not ready and excited because there’s something to build upon and Amorim has a history of making an instant impact at the clubs he’d been at.
Champions League qualification would be a massive success but even European qualification would be a good launching pad. Over to you, Mr Ruben Amorim, the world awaits.
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