Ruben Amorim is nearing the end of his first week of being head coach at Manchester United, and what a week it’s been.
United’s executives, Dan Ashworth, Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, greeted Amorim on his arrival at Carrington on Monday to show him round the facility and help him find his feet.
Tuesday saw the 39-year-old meet some of the players who aren’t on international duty and the academy stars.
Then Wednesday saw Amorim take to Old Trafford for the first time to experience the iconic stadium.
When on the pitch, Amorim commented the weight of the role and the club, saying: “That’s really funny, because I feel very relaxed. maybe because it’s not game day.”
Amorim acknowledged that the atmosphere is different to when the stadium will be full of fans, continuing: “When we have a game I’m a different guy. But I really don’t feel the weight. I’m really excited and I’m quite relaxed, you know?
“I think I am where I am supposed to be, that’s the feeling.”
Now he’s feeling a bit more at home in his new role, Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken out about United’s new appointment.
Cristiano Ronaldo gives Ruben Amorim his seal of approval
Fabrizio Romano has reported that Ronaldo approved of the hiring, speaking after Portugal’s 5-1 UEFA Nations League win over Poland.
The Ballon d’Or winner commented: “I wish Man United and Ruben Amorim the best of luck in the world.”
This comes as a polar opposite to his criticism of Amorim’s predecessor Erik ten Hag, with the star calling out ten Hag’s lack of understanding of the club.
Advising ten Hag should listen to assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy at the time, Ronaldo commented: “If Erik ten Hag listens to Ruud, maybe he can [help at United].”
He continued: “I think it can help a lot because he knows the club and the club should listen the guys who were there. You [Rio Ferdinand] or Roy Keane or Paul Scholes or Gary Neville, whatever, Sir Alex Ferguson. You cannot, you cannot rebuild a club without knowledge. Not guys who work in office. They understand.
“I believe that Ruud [van Nistelrooy] is going to help because he was inside the club. He knows the club. He knows the fans. If the coach listens to him, I think they can improve a little bit the club.”
Interestingly there was something in Ronaldo’s comments.
Van Nistelrooy took to the helm as interim manager after the sacking of ten Hag, turning the club around.
After a run of poor performances, van Nistelrooy managed to create an instant U-turn for the squad, getting three wins and a draw, leaving the role unbeaten.
The question is, can Ruben Amorim follow on with the ground work van Nistelrooy has achieved? His record at Sporting Lisbon certainly seems to suggest so.
🚨🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo: “I wish Man United and Rúben Amorim the best of luck in the world”. pic.twitter.com/Qejbx91uA5
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 15, 2024
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