When Ruben Amorim’s protracted move from Sporting CP to Manchester United was belatedly concluded, he breathed an almighty sigh of relief: “The soap opera is ending.”
Little did he know that he was walking into another daytime drama.
Amorim has already had his start delayed by visa issues and shipped out Ruud van Nistelrooy. Several Manchester United players may follow the former interim boss out of the door in the near future, but there are some individuals who stand to significantly benefit from Amorim’s arrival.
At the end of Manuel Ugarte’s second and final season at Sporting CP under Amorim, the combative Uruguayan led the entire division for combined tackles and interceptions. Those crunching figures earned Ugarte £50.5m move to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023.
After a bright start, the midfielder’s limitations in possession saw him relegated to the role of a substitute. Ugarte barely got off the bench for Erik ten Hag – only starting one Premier League game, which happened to be the controversial defeat to Tottenham Hotspur that the Dutch coach refused to acknowledge.
Ugarte started all four matches during Van Nistelrooy’s interim spell and will likely fill one of the two central midfield positions in the 3-4-2-1 system which he knows so well from his two years under Amorim.
Andre Onana arrived at Old Trafford with a reputation as the best ball-playing goalkeeper in the world. UEFA’s technical report of the 2023 Champions League final described him as “less a sweeper-keeper than a holding midfielder”, but those impressive possession skills have gathered dust at Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag only really committed to playing out from the back for less than two matches, losing his nerve after the 4-0 rout at Brentford all the way back in August 2022, a year before Onana even arrived.
Amorim has warned that United won’t be able to play exactly like his Sporting side, but they offer a template of how much responsibility is given to the goalkeeper. The Lisbon outfit play almost 90% of their goal kicks short – the highest proportion in Portugal’s top flight – and trust the goalkeeper to be involved in the type of intricate buildup play which was on display in the recent victory over Manchester City.
Bruno Fernandes left Sporting a little over two months before Amorim arrived. The club’s former captain and boyhood fan continued to watch every match and was full of praise for his compatriot: “I think all the qualities are there to be able to succeed in English, French, or Spanish football.
“Obviously, we know that the Premier League is probably the most desired. The qualities [to succeed in England] are there and he has everything to take the next step, in my opinion.”
Fernandes could pop up in two different positions depending on the shape Amorim decides to deploy; either as the number ten in a diamond midfield or as one of two narrow attacking midfielders behind a centre forward in a 3-4-2-1. Both roles usher Fernandes closer to goal and will hopefully restrict his tendency to roam around the full width and breadth of the pitch.
