Over a week has passed since Ruben Amorim was announced as Manchester United manager, taking over from the departed Erik ten Hag following a fantastic stint at Sporting CP.
The 39-year-old, who ranked at no.11 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best managers in the world right now, gained plenty of plaudits since his arrival in Lisbon, taking the club from a fallen giant to a dominant force in a short space of time, lifting the Liga Portugal title twice in just four years with a squad of largely homegrown young talents.
Bolstered by the imperious form of Viktor Gyokeres, Sporting are now a genuine threat on the European stage, taking a number of huge scalps already this season in the Champions League.
Perhaps the biggest of these results came after United’s announcement as Amorim guided his Sporting side to a famous 4-1 win over Manchester City on Tuesday.
In fact, the win over City was one of three games Amorim will manage at Sporting following the announcement of his new role, so why hasn’t he started his Old Trafford career immediately?
Throughout negotiations between United and Sporting over the manager’s signature the issues of a release clause and potential notice period were raised, with many suggesting they would act as major stumbling blocks in the speed at which a move could progress.
Despite initially wanting to start at the end of the season, Amorim claims he was told it was “now or never” by the club as they looked to secure their future as early as possible.
Upon completion of the deal, The Red Devils released a statement confirming the manager would take charge from November 11th, with his first match in charge scheduled to take place against Ipswich on November 24th, leaving Ruud Van Nistelrooy in charge for United’s four games in between – in which he is so far unbeaten.
The reasons behind the delay are without concrete confirmation, although it is likely that the start of the international break will allow Amorim a solid period of time to get his feet under the table before the chaotic schedule kicks back into gear.
As well as implementing an entirely new system, Amorim is also reported to be eager to bring a number of coaches with him from Sporting, with negotiations surrounding their respective futures taking a little while longer.
Already an enamoured figure at Old Trafford thanks to his win over City, excitement around the Portuguese’s arrival continues to grow as the Red Devils begin yet another chapter in the post-Ferguson story.
FourFourTwo
