A fresh start can be promising in one aspect but becomes a mistake in another. Coach Ruben Amorim is completely reasonable when affirming that, at Old Trafford, Manchester United is stronger than the familiar championship candidate Arsenal.
However, after spending £200 million, few people thought that Amorim's debut would end with questions about whether he should choose Tom Heaton in goal.
If the question surprised, Amorim's reaction was even more noteworthy. The Portuguese coach was once famous for his calmness, often keeping a smile even after defeat, but this time he could not hide his discomfort.
"Why?" - he replied immediately, then repeatedly refuted Altay Bayindir's goal. Amorim said the goalkeeper made a mistake, mentioning the goal conceded from a corner against Tottenham last December that should not have been recognized. In addition, he recounted his performance against Arsenal in January and the decision to keep Andre Onana out.
Amorim has defended Bayindir - a good thing after he was found to be too strict with some players last season. He believes his side have suffered, although the majority of neutral opinions say there is no fault in those situations.
Amorim can rightly say that he understands better than those who question him, because that is the reality. "I have considered everything," he said when asked about the squad selection.
From a broader perspective, the Portuguese strategist's a bit of a irritant is not too difficult to sympathize with. After each Premier League match, coaches often face a series of interviews, where thousands of statements can be overshadowed by just one answer.
For Amorim, his fierce competitive instinct was the driving force that took him to the hot seat at Old Trafford right before the age of 40. And if we look at the history of the Premier League, many of his colleagues have faced more severe shocks, in much less calm ways.
The moment of showing the tension also partly showed that Amorim was under more pressure. Last season, he was almost supported by the majority of Man United fans, when they were willing to forgive him for the responsibility of the club's worst season in half a century.
The burden has been shifted to many other names, from Erik ten Hag, Glazers, Director of Football John Murtough to Marcus Rashford or Rasmus Hojlund. Even Sir Jim Ratcliffe - who took a big job of sacking 40% of Man United's staff and giving Amorim a huge budget to rebuild - was seen as part of the problem. Only Amorim was, at that time, almost helpless.
Now, all eyes may be on Amorim more. He will be really appreciated this season. If Bayindir had handled Declan Rice's corner kick better, the comments would have been more positive.
Amorim has brought in 3 big signings, in which Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo immediately took the starting position. Both of them bring the quality the Red Devils lack, and more importantly, match Amorim's tactical operation. Despite not scoring yet, the team still creates the feeling that they can far exceed the poor 44 goals in the Premier League last season.
However, the fact that all three new recruits are strikers has sparked controversy. Many people think Man United need to add a central midfielder, or even a goalkeeper.
This was Gianluigi Donnarumma's debut (not Emiliano Martinez, who was suspended after his red card at Old Trafford for Aston Villa in May). But Amorim insists he is "favorable with the three current goalkeepers".
The captain born in 1985 put Onana aside, but in fact, this is a risky " inheritance" from Ten Hag's time. Onana has only been training for a week, while Amorim has faith in Bayindir. Heaton, a third option, who has not played in the Premier League since 2020, but is considered a safer option. In the end, the decision to choose Bayindir was counterproductive.
Amorim certainly understands the historical lesson of the past 7 years. Also at Old Trafford, another Portuguese coach once knocked his hand on the goal and demanded "respect, respect, respect" after a defeat.
Amorim is not Jose Mourinho, although both are attractive and often leave memorable lines. He has had some sharp reactions, but in English football, sharpness is not necessarily synonymous with success.
Sir Alex Ferguson, Man United's greatest manager, was once much more angry but still knew how to win. For more than the last decade of his career, he has even stayed away from the press room at Old Trafford, allowing MUTV to ask gentler questions. At that time, many thorny issues were never made public.
Amorim is different. He was both surprised by the huge scale of the Premier League's media workshop and was ready to be born to step on such a stage.
