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It only fitting that Ruben Amorim, who is also the head coach of Manchester United, has something to cheer about as he approaches his one-year anniversary.

No matter how bad things have been over the past 12 months, the 40-year-old’s personality still shines through in the face of his or her ability to laugh.

Amorim laughed as his distinctive phone alarm went off at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur in May, just as United’s South East Asia Football Federation president welcomed them to Malaysia for the start of their tumultuous post-season tour, though his embarrassment was palpable.

After declaring that not even the Holy Father could persuade him to change his controversial 3-4-2 formation, he laughed last month when asked if the Pope had been in contact following Chelsea’s defeat.

When he predicted the difficulties United would encounter in putting his ideas into practice in December of his famous “the storm will come” comments, he was even smiling.

Before Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest, which will take place exactly one year since Amorim’s appointment, he was enthralled by the reasons.

He responded, “It’s my character.” Additionally, I am aware that many people want to see my face when I come here, which [shows] that I’m suffering. The opposite is what I prefer.

People who are well-versed in Amorim claim that the joviality and upbeat demeanor are genuine and not a sign of nerves.

In a year where United have won 22 games compared to their 21 losses, Amorim is seen as a force for good at Carrington despite the fact that there have not been as many of those as outsiders might anticipate.

He becomes reportedly more introverted than ever.

More typical scenes occurred this week when he was active in Patrick Dorgu’s birthday celebrations.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Sir Alex Ferguson, who were on first-name terms with almost every staff member, are no longer in the same league as Sir Alex Ferguson, who saw so many well-known faces when he returned in 2019.

However, Amorim does highlight that he has a different perspective on his job than just delivering results and working with his Portuguese coaches, who he undoubtedly knows.

Perhaps this is because of the pressure from the management at one of the world’s biggest clubs, such as the Sporting Goldfish Bowl, when his playing career was prematurely ended by injury, and how they could afford to raise their young family.

After attending home games, Amorim’s non-negotiable commitment to some facets of his job can be seen when he spends long hours signing autographs or taking selfies for each fan who patiently waited for him, no matter the weather.

He has also instructed his players to speak with Old Trafford supporters as they leave.

He sees this interaction as a duty and expresses his surprise and deep gratitude for the support he has received.

Amorim joins his players after games to say thank them when they lose, as part of the responsibility they share. He prefers to return to the dressing room after winning and allow his team to receive credit.

Had Amorim celebrated its one-year anniversary on October 1st, the outcome would have been essentially unfavorable.

Only Tottenham of the 17 Premier League clubs that remained in his place at the time had as many points as United’ 34 from 33 games. Now that Wolves and West Ham have lost three straight games, they are also in the dust.

Amorim was nominated for manager of the month on Thursday for the first time. He was asked about the possibility of winning the Champions League during his press conference.

United will finish second if they win at City Ground.

It will be the first time they’ve been that high in the middle of the season since Solskjaer’s world collapsed in September 2021, even if it is only for a few hours.

Amorim cautioned against reading too much into his side’s current state. However, a chronicle of his first year does not read like an epitaph because of three successive victories combined with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s “three-year” comments.

One critic close to the dressing room once remarked a month ago that Amorim’s enthralling news conferences were his only strong point.

However, he finds it to be the least amount of work, despite box office in their delivery. After playing games, he is emotionally charged. However, his words are not rehearsed when he speaks on behalf of the club on important matters aside from the solemn moments.

His playful demeanor and his occasionally aloof persona clash with his intense and serious persona on the training ground.

When Amorim was allowed to observe the first 15 minutes of training before European games last year, it became clear that he had been able to watch the routine sprints and rondos from a different pitch, sometimes 50 yards away.

According to the explanation, this is due to his lack of involvement and to his taking the time to consider the messages he will deliver during the main session.

Amorim instructed midfielder Kobbie Mainoo exactly how many strides to take after passing off, and where to spread his body out to create the best passing angles during his first training session in November.

Sources claimed that during certain times this summer, two players were training at the same positions before going through various scenarios to ensure they moved into the appropriate area of the pitch.

Even though this may seem odd, Amorim’s knowledge of which team slots makes sense.

Amorim’s work on speed in transition, particularly defensive turnovers, was also apparent in the first recorded session.

This reinforced messaging is finally working because the time between games allows for full preparation weeks. The bad days at Brentford and Grimsby are worse than the best.

According to United officials, there has never been an internal discussion about Amorim’s future, as they have done consistently over the past 12 months. Ratcliffe to Ratcliffe is the club’s upper management, which is supportive. The season’s goal is still to qualify for Europe.

Has Amorim himself ever questioned his ability to advance this far, though?

It’s difficult to say what he said. Due to Manchester United, it was difficult for me to deal with some of the difficult situations that I experienced.

“It was incredible to focus so heavily on the Europa League and not win.”

As he reaches his one-year anniversary as head coach of Manchester United, it is fitting Ruben Amorim genuinely has something to smile about.

For if there is one element of the 40-year-old’s personality that shines through, no matter how bad things have got over the past 12 months, it is his ability to laugh.

Amorim laughed, albeit tinged with embarrassment, when his distinctive phone alarm went off at a news conference in Kuala Lumpur in May, just as the president of the South East Asia Football Federation was welcoming United to Malaysia for the start of their chaotic post-season tour.

He laughed last month when he was asked if the Pope had been in touch following the defeat of Chelsea, a day on from his declaration that not even the Holy Father could persuade him to change his controversial 3-4-2-1 formation.

He was even smiling when he delivered his famous “the storm will come” comments last December, when he predicted the problems United would face trying to implement his ideas.

Amorim was laughing again before Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest – which will be exactly one year since he was appointed – as he explained why.

“It’s my character,” he said. “Also, I know a lot of people want to see me arriving here with a face that [shows] I’m suffering. I like to do the opposite.

The joviality and upbeat demeanour is genuine, not a sign of nerves, say people who know Amorim well.

Apart from really bleak times – there have not been as many of those as outsiders might think in a year where United have won 22 games compared to the 21 they have lost – Amorim is viewed as a force for good at Carrington.

Rarely, it is said, does he become introverted.

More regular are the type of scenes this week, when he was an active participant in birthday celebrations for defender Patrick Dorgu.

Times have not returned to the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, who was on first-name terms with virtually every staff member, or even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who, because of his longevity as player, saw so many familiar faces when he returned in 2019.

But it does underline Amorim has a wider view of his job, rather than just delivering results and hunkering down with his Portuguese coaches, who he clearly knows better than anyone.

Maybe this comes because feeling management pressure, either in the Sporting goldfish bowl in Lisbon or at one of the world’s biggest clubs, cannot compare to the day his playing career was prematurely ended by injury and he sat with his wife in front of a spreadsheet and tried to work out how they could afford to bring up their young family.

Amorim’s non-negotiable commitment to certain aspects of his job can be seen after home games when he spends extended periods of time taking selfies or signing autographs for every fan who has waited patiently, whatever the weather, for him to emerge.

In addition, he has instructed his players to engage with supporters at Old Trafford as they arrive.

He views this interaction as a duty and shows personal gratitude for the backing he has received, which he is surprised by and hugely grateful for.

In general, after games, Amorim joins his players to acknowledge supporters when they have lost, as part of sharing responsibility. In victories, he prefers to get back to the dressing room and let his players take the credit.

Had Amorim’s one-year anniversary been marked on 1 October, judgement would have been almost exclusively negative.

At that point, only Tottenham of the 17 teams who remained in the Premier League throughout his tenure had fewer points than United’s 34 from 33 games. After three successive victories, Wolves and West Ham are also behind them now.

On Thursday, for the first time, Amorim was shortlisted for manager of the month. In his news conference he was asked about the possibility of Champions League qualification.

If they win at the City Ground, United will go second.

Even if it is only for a matter of hours, it will be the first time they have been that high, mid-season, since a victory at West Ham in September 2021, immediately before Solskjaer’s world unravelled.

Amorim warned of reading too much into his side’s current form. But three successive wins coupled with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ‘three-year’ comments, means a chronical of his first year does not read like an epitaph.

A month ago, the private stinging rebuke of one critic close to the dressing room was that Amorim’s enthralling news conferences were all he was good at.

Yet, while box office in their delivery, it is the part of the job he likes the least. He is emotional, which shows itself after games. But apart from solemn moments, when he speaks on behalf of the club on matters of importance, his words are not rehearsed.

His jovial nature is at odds with his intense and serious persona on the training ground – and his rather detached presence at times.

Last season, when media were allowed to observe the first 15 minutes of training before European games, it was noticeable that Amorim watched the routine sprints and rondos on his own, from a different pitch, sometimes 50 yards away.

This, it is explained, is partly because he has no role to play but also because he is using the time to think about the messaging he will deliver in the main session.

Filmed footage of his first training session last November shows Amorim telling midfielder Kobbie Mainoo exactly how many strides he needed to move after laying a pass off, then where to open his body out to create maximum passing angles.

This summer, sources said there were points where he had two players taking up the same positions in training, before running through different scenarios to ensure they moved into the right area of the pitch.

While this may seem peculiar it does make sense given Amorim knows which players fit into which slots in his team.

That first recorded session also showed Amorim working on speed in transition, especially defensive turnovers.

Finally, with gaps between games allowing full preparation weeks, this reinforced messaging is paying off. Awful days at Grimsby and Brentford are outliers rather than the norm.

United officials say now, as they have done consistently throughout the past 12 months, there has never been an internal conversation about Amorim’s future. The club’s hierarchy, from Ratcliffe down, is supportive. The aim for the season remains European qualification.

But have there been times when Amorim himself wondered if he would get this far?

“It’s hard to say,” he said. “There were some moments that were tough to deal with, to lose so many games, was so hard for me because this is Manchester United.

“Putting all the attention on Europa League and not winning, was massive.