Ruben Amorim will hit ground running at Man Utd but big challenge comes in 18 months



Did Ashworth and Wilcox consider the change in style from Ten Hag to Amorim a potential problem at United? Or have they reached a point where it had to be a secondary concern as they want to give the right man a blank canvas to start afresh, regardless of the profile of players at his immediate disposal?

On the positive side, critics argued with some justification it was never entirely clear what Ten Hag’s style was supposed to be, so, however Amorim chooses to play, it will be distinguishable.

Aside from the coaching talent, you need a strong personality to thrive at a club such as United – the capacity to impose authority in an environment where the players are increasingly listening to the voices of their representatives or “entourage” as much as the management staff.

Whenever a new manager takes over a failing side, it is a common response to anticipate a mass clear-out – as if the squad is lined up like a firing squad awaiting to see who survives the cut.

That is always a huge over-reaction. Nothing is ever that bad at a club of United’s stature, so forget any idea of eight or nine of the current preferred starting XI being dumped at the earliest opportunity. That rarely needs to happen for an instant uplift.

You only have to look at the example of Unai Emery at Aston Villa, recently celebrating his second anniversary in charge, with the club flying in the Champions League. Villa were 14th when Emery arrived. United would love Amorim to have the same impact within that timescale.



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