If Manchester United fans believed Ruben Amorim would spark an instant revival at Old Trafford, last week’s 1-1 draw against newly promoted Ipswich Town should serve as a sobering reality check.
Much has been said of the Portuguese manager, who worked his magic at Sporting CP to bring the Lisbon-based club their first Liga Portugal title in 19 years in 2021.
While the 39-year-old undoubtedly boasts a wealth of tactical awareness that could steer United back toward the upper echelons of English football, he is no Harry Houdini. There is no mind-blowing escape from the club's current troubles.
Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp hit the nail on the head with his post-match analysis live on Sky Sport.
“The players that have let you down over the past year or so haven't suddenly become great players because Amorim has walked into the club,” he declared.
Houdini was a master of illusion, but even he couldn’t convince anyone that this current Manchester United squad is capable of replicating the club’s past glories.
Players like Casemiro, Antony, Christian Eriksen and Jonny Evans are surely not part of Amorim’s long-term vision for United.
Despite having just two days with the full squad before the trip to Portman Road, Amorim will be acutely aware of just that. A significant portion of the the current side are simply aren’t up to the required standard.
While it’s clear the team needs reinforcements, Amorim won’t have that opportunity until January - and even then, it’s unlikely United will be throwing money around freely.
He will, quite rightly, be judged on results, as any manager would be. However, it may be more fitting to assess him on his style of play and how it could evolve once he secures the right players for each position.
United fans have long been desperate for a consistent brand of football week in, week out. While Ten Hag struggled to instill his philosophy during his tenure at Old Trafford, the first glimpses of what Amorim aims to achieve are already evident.
His use of the 3-4-3 system, which proved so effective at Sporting CP, has been implemented from the outset at United. It’s a formation he knows intimately and one he can deploy successfully when the squad is aligned with his vision.
Of course, the system is new to United, and time will be needed for the players to adapt. More significantly, the squad mastering it now is unlikely to be the same group applying it next season.
Amorim’s high-intensity style and the 3-4-3 formation aren’t designed for a 36-year-old operating as a left-sided centre-back or two 32-year-olds anchoring the midfield engine room.
It’s clear things aren’t clicking yet, which is understandable given the talent at Amorim’s disposal and the fact that this is only his first game in charge. Still, he’s already working to embed his philosophy within the team.
While results are the ultimate currency in the cutthroat world of Premier League football, Amorim’s commitment to his approach - regardless of who is in the squad - will resonate with United fans.
More importantly, it could buy him a crucial measure of patience.
Will he stick with 3-4-3?
While I initially agreed with Redknapp’s analysis, I disagreed with his later assertion that we won’t see United playing 3-4-3 in 12 months. In fact, I firmly believe that formation will still be in place this time next year, especially with Amorim and Sporting Director Dan Ashworth having had two transfer windows to reshape the squad by then.
That’s not to say those windows will solve all of United’s problems, but it’s reasonable to expect Amorim to bring in players suited to his system while potentially recruiting some stars from his successful Sporting CP team.
United’s issues in midfield and defence have been well-documented, but their struggles in attack are equally concerning. With just 13 goals in 12 Premier League games this season, only Everton, Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored fewer.
Given that, I’d be surprised if United didn’t pursue Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres in the next two windows. Signed by Amorim from Coventry in 2023, Gyökeres has since scored an astonishing 67 goals in 69 games in Portugal.
This season alone, he’s netted 24 times in 18 appearances, averaging a goal every 65 minutes—seven minutes quicker than Lionel Messi’s extraordinary scoring rate during his 73-goal season for Barcelona in 2011/12 - the greatest individual campaign in European football history.
Other names linked with following Amorim to Manchester include Ousmane Diomande and Pedro Gonçalves. If such signings materialise, or any others for that matter, only then can we fairly assess Amorim’s impact on the team.
Some may compare his start to Arne Slot’s immediate success at Liverpool, but Slot inherited a squad with foundations already laid by Jurgen Klopp. Amorim, by contrast, has taken on a much more daunting challenge, and this must be considered when evaluating his progress in the coming months.
For now, United must endure short-term struggles - there’s almost no escaping that. However, if the club shows patience and fully commits to Amorim’s vision, the long-term rewards could be significant.
As Amorim himself put it: "We risk a little bit, we suffer a little bit and in the next year we will be better at this point. So we have to risk it a little bit."
He may not be Houdini, but if Amorim can work his magic and lead United back to the glory days, he’ll carve out his own reputation as a magician.
