Will Man United players adapt to Amorim?
Interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has helped United to a steady start, with three wins and a draw in his four games in charge. The Portuguese will be hoping to continue that momentum in the opening game against Ipswich Town on 24 November.
Van Nistelrooy gave Amorim a good lineup in his final game in charge. The Dutchman moved Bruno Fernandes back into a more central role, using Amad Diallo and Marcus Rashford on the wings with Rasmus Hojlund playing as the striker. Amorim is unlikely to break the midfield axis of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte, who have impressed when paired together.
Long term, Amorim’s biggest challenge is likely to be how to deploy the plethora of wingers in their current squad, with Antony, a £86m signing, currently fifth choice in his position.
Rashford may have to adapt his game to play more as a second striker, as he has done earlier in his career. Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho faces limited game time if he fails to adapt to Amorim’s favoured 3-4-3 system, either as one of the front three or even as a full-back.
How long does Amorim take?
Amorim inherits a United side that are 13th in the Premier League, have lost four of their 11 games and are struggling in the Europa League. It is difficult to say how long it will take for the team to return to a title challenge.
Sky Sports has made the case for a number of top English clubs, including Liverpool.
When Jurgen Klopp took over at Liverpool in October 2015, the Reds were 10th in the Premier League, having won just four of their 11 games in all competitions under Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers had guided Liverpool to second place in the Premier League in 2013-14, but the team needed a refresh.
Of Klopp's first squad against Tottenham, only Divock Origi and James Milner - two versatile players at the time - were part of the 2019-20 title-winning squad. Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson were both absent for the game at White Hart Lane, but both have become integral parts of Klopp's Liverpool side.
Joel Matip, Georginio Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane arrived the following season, with Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah arriving throughout the 2017-18 campaign. Fabinho and Alisson were then seen as the final missing pieces of the jigsaw, with Trent Alexander-Arnold emerging from the academy.
Liverpool have finally ended a 30-year wait for the English top flight. It took Klopp around eight transfer windows to shape the team in his image, with a staggering net spend of £68.7m during that time.
Back at Man United, the team under Erik ten Hag was considered to have no identity. Ruben Amorim must change that and build a clear personality for the Old Trafford team, with an attacking style of play as the main theme.
Sporting Lisbon did it but whether this Man United side can do the same in his favoured 3-4-3 formation remains to be seen.
United’s biggest weakness this season has been their ability to score goals. When Ten Hag was sacked after nine league games, only Southampton and Crystal Palace had scored fewer Premier League goals than them. Amorim is desperate to make his players more clinical in front of goal.
Old Trafford has sometimes been shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013, largely aimed at the club's owners, the Glazer family.
Despite Louis van Gaal winning the FA Cup and Jose Mourinho enjoying brief success, trouble never seemed far away from the club. Ten Hag added to United's trophy cabinet, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, but poor Premier League form left fans angry.
For Amorim, changing the atmosphere at the club under Ineos and getting everyone on the same page, as well as how he handled issues in his first transfer window, will set the tone for his entire tenure.
