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Man Utd could be hiring a manager in Ruben Amorim who has played with one player in the current squad
Manchester United are about to kickstart a new era, this one with the first managerial appointment by Ineos as Ruben Amorim inches closer.
Just hours after sacking Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim ‘verbally agreed’ a move to Man Utd and the situation has developed quickly.
He could very well be in place before the start of the next international break which is a remarkable turnaround time since Amorim was an outside candidate at best initially.
The Ineos playbook has been to go younger, both in terms of players and now, it seems the manager too.
Amorim is just 39 and so young is that that he has played, let alone managed, with one member of the current Man Utd squad!
Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd connection
At 39, Amorim will only be slightly older than Man Utd’s current elder statesman, Tm Heaton, who will turn 39 next April.
Alongside McKenna and Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, he will be among the youngest bosses in the Premier League.
That is quite a feat in its own right but to step into the harsh scrutiny of Old Trafford at such a young age is an entirely different feat altogether.
Fortunately, he has a former teammate of his in the current Man Utd squad so he will not want for familiar faces right off the bat.
Amorim, who played for SL Benfica from 2008 to 2017, shared a dressing room with United defender Victor Lindelof when he was at the Portuguese club from 2012 to 2017.
Together, they won the league title and the domestic cup under Jorge Jesus, Amorim’s managerial idol.
Amorim made 154 appearances for Benfica and spent two seasons on loan away from the club near the end of his career before hanging up his boots and going into management.
Lindelof, of course, joined United as a highly-rated entity from Benfica in 2017 and became Jose Mourinho’s signing at the club.
Pros and cons of Amorim
It started with getting younger players but it is clear now that the clubs are making a concerted effort to target younger managers too.
Amorim is a high-risk, high-reward gamble by Ineos because even though he is a proven commodity through his miracle work at Sporting, Man Utd are a different giant altogether.
Even Erik ten Hag came to United as a man on top of the world after his thrilling run with Ajax but we all know how that ended.
However, a lack of personality and charisma always followed Ten Hag, even through his years at Old Trafford which Amorim doesn’t lack in the slightest.
A younger manager might be able to better connect with this young squad which has a core that is developing together.
Ultimately, results trump everything and there’s no better way of getting players on your side than winning football matches.
Amorim has done that so far in his footballing career.
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