Manchester United’s new head coach, Ruben Amorim, has expressed confidence in his ability to restore the club to its rightful place at the pinnacle of football.
Amorim arrived in Manchester on Monday following his appointment as the successor to Erik ten Hag.
At 39 years old, he becomes the seventh manager tasked with leading United back to glory since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. None of his predecessors managed to sustain a Premier League title challenge, progress beyond the Champions League quarter-finals, or complete three full seasons in charge.
In his first official remarks to the club’s media since arriving in the UK, the former Sporting CP boss vowed to rewrite that history and return United to their winning ways.
“I will try to do everything to put this club in the place that it belongs,” he said.
“And I believe a lot that we are going to succeed.”
United have posted a number social media images of Amorim meeting players, executives and some fans who were on a tour of Old Trafford when he walked into the home dressing room.
He has also tried to soak in some of the club’s storied past. Not just the record 20 English titles and three European Cups but also the dark days of the Munich air disaster and the rise to glory under Sir Matt Busby.
While most supporters were not alive when that happened, Amorim feels it is important players understand the magnitude of the club they are playing for.
“You see the trophies and you see the tragedy that we have as a club,” he said. “You understand the history, after the crash, then we were European champions. It is important to put this kind of strength in the team.
“When the players come here, they should make the same tour. It is very important. You have to feel this is Manchester United.”
As the players he met earlier in the week, including England trio Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount, were all doing rehabilitation, it will be next week before Amorim will really get to work.
Alejandro Garnacho and Manuel Ugarte have World Cup qualifying commitments in South America in the early hours of Wednesday morning UK time, so it will likely be Friday before he has his full squad together to prepare for his first game in charge, at Ipswich, on 24 November.
Amorim accepts not everything will be to his satisfaction. But he is promising fans they will see a team that is inherently his.
“The most important thing for me at this moment is to create the principles, the identity and the character we had in the past,” he said.
“We will focus a lot on our game model – how to play, how to press, these small things. You cannot go 100% on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. But if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, it is identity.”
Judgement around Amorim’s appointment will be made against United’s new structure, from co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, through board member Sir Dave Brailsford, chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
Berrada has been the driving force behind Amorim’s appointment, with Ashworth and Wilcox the executives he will be working with most closely.
Amorim says he feels there is a strong connection already and he can see the excitement around Ineos’ wider plans for the club.
“We want to do something special in a special club – that was a key point,” he said.
“When Manchester United told me about their plans, you get excited. We know if the team plays well and wins games, everything looks so much better and the people really start to believe in the new stadium and new ideas.
“It’s a real honour that I was the first choice to start that path.”