Man Utd Could Hire 39 y/o Student of Mourinho Who Guardiola & Arteta Praised

Speculation and uncertainty continue to build over Erik ten Hag’s future at Manchester United following another drab performance in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa over the weekend. The result leaves the Red Devils without a win in their last four, 14th in the Premier League table after their worst start after seven games and, perhaps more startlingly, 19th in the division for goals scored.

Ten Hag insists that the club is moving together as one, despite the fact that it has been reported that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is lining up some potential ‘world-class’ replacements to swoop in and take the Dutchman’s job. There have also been rumours of Gareth Southgate and Graham Potter being interested in the potential vacancy.

One possible replacement that has slipped under the radar though is Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim. The young coach was heavily linked with the Liverpool job in the summer but ultimately stayed put at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. Having won all eight games to start the Liga Portugal season, Amorim’s stock has never been higher, and he could provide an interesting alternative should INEOS decide that a new direction is needed.

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Amorim’s Links to Jose Mourinho

The former midfielder spent time learning under the ‘Special One’

It’s clear that Old Trafford is crying out for a manager with both astute tactical knowledge and a winning mentality. Not only has Amorim’s track record in Portugal proof that he possesses that, having already won six different domestic honours in his short managerial career, but the 39-year-old learned directly from one of the game’s serial winners.

After retiring, he partnered with fellow Portugal native and one of the best managers of all time, Jose Mourinho. Amorim was one of three young coaches from the 2018 edition of High Performance Football Coaching who completed their internship under the then-Manchester United manager – another interesting link back to the club.

Now, without understanding the Portuguese’s style of play, it may be easy for United fans to assume he adopted Mourinho’s tactics too. The ‘Special One’s’ setup grew tiresome towards the end of his reign at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ and seems to have lost its way in English football in recent years.

While at times there has been a tendency to play with a back three, that’s about where similarities to his mentor end. In fact, Amorim is known to prefer a high defensive line when in possession, with midfielders being allowed to operate in the pockets thanks to how the wing-backs can stretch the opposition.

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Perhaps most crucially for United, is how the former Braga man reacts to defensive transitions. Under Ten Hag, this is where his players have been the most exposed. However, Amorim ensures that the same issue doesn’t happen by having the central striker drop deeper in the press to add an extra body in the middle of the park, while the rest of the midfield also remains compact.

Praise From the Premier League’s Finest

Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola are admirers of Amorim

Amorim’s success in his homeland is not going unnoticed either. Both Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola have shown their appreciation for the up-and-coming manager, which is high praise from the two men who have been leading the biggest title contenders over the last couple of seasons.

Arteta described the work that his counterpart had done as ‘incredible’ after being knocked out by his side in the 2023 Europa League. Meanwhile, Guardiola labelled him as one of the best in the world back in 2023.

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Once more, there were some interesting comments made by United captain Bruno Fernandes earlier this year. While he never played under Amorim during his time in Lisbon, the struggling playmaker was clearly pleased with what he had seen from his former employer since his departure:

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 07/10/2024.