Man Utd: Ruben Amorim ‘not his usual self’ after ‘strange moment’ as ‘friends’ reveal his ‘exhaustion’
According to reports, Ruben Amorim has been ‘affected by the whole process’ leading to him replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
Amorim was named Man Utd‘s head coach on Friday after the Premier League giants sacked former boss Ten Hag on Monday morning.
39-year-old Amorim has been on the radar of several elite European clubs for a couple of years as he’s done a great job at Sporting Lisbon.
Since arriving in 2020, Amorim has helped Sporting Lisbon win two Primeira Liga titles and they have won their opening ten league games this season. The Portuguese outfit had previously gone 18 years without winning the title.
Liverpool and West Ham were mooted as possible destinations for Amorim in the summer, but they looked elsewhere. This opened the door for Man Utd to appoint him and he will take charge at Old Trafford at the start of this month’s international break on November 11.
A report from The Athletic ‘inside the Amorim deal’ has revealed two concerns INEOS have about the inexperienced head coach and they have also stated how he has been ‘affected by the whole process’.
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The report claims Amorim ‘confided in friends’ to inform them that his ‘grilling’ after Tuesday’s 3-1 win against Nacional in the Taca Da Liga ‘exhausted him’.
‘At the end of Tuesday, after he had been grilled by journalists in the wake of a 3-1 win over Nacional, he confided in friends that the experience had exhausted him.
‘Colleagues who have known Amorim for years observed he didn’t look his usual relaxed self during the press conference. That much was understandable.’
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The report also claims Amorim looked ‘awkward and shy’ during a ‘strange moment’ on Tuesday night, but he is a ‘more natural fit’ for Man Utd than Ten Hag for one reason.
‘Just before the game, Sporting fans, as is tradition, held their scarves aloft and sang the club anthem. But Amorim kept his head down, looking at the ground, hands in his pockets, looking somewhat shy and awkward. It was a strange moment. He didn’t celebrate any goals, instead crouching down on his haunches. He paced his technical area, kept giving instructions to his players, and occasionally clapped and pointed.
‘A group of fans tried to start a chant about Amorim but others whistled them silent. Some supporters are very thankful for all that he has done. Others are unhappy — not about the move to United, but the timing. They believe he should have finished the season.
‘United could not countenance that, and they are pleased the agreement has been found quickly and discreetly. Amorim has transformed Sporting and the hope is he can do the same for United. He will not be 40 until January, and there is a belief he is ready to build at the club for a long period and develop young players.
‘His charisma is seen as a more natural fit to deal with the media at United than Ten Hag, and though that brings with it his strong opinions, executives are said to welcome the inevitable debates that will come.’
