Reasons to be cheerful at last? Amorim’s year at Man Utd

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.”