While results have generally been dire since Ruben Amorim’s arrival, Manchester United have produced moments of magic against the big teams which bodes well for the future.
Against Arsenal on Sunday, the Red Devils claimed a point against the odds given the sheer number of absentees and should have claimed all three given the number of chances they created.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has come out and praised the Portuguese and while plenty of pundits have been calling for his head, it is clear to see that INEOS have planned for the long-term with the 40-year-old at the helm.
And Bruno Fernandes, the architect behind most of the big performances this season, has backed the head coach to come good at Old Trafford in an interview with CBS Sports.
Bruno on Amorim’s Sporting legacy
The club captain, who came to Manchester from Lisbon just like the boss, feels the ultimate aim is for the 20-time English league champions to be as successful under Amorim as Sporting CP.
He had won two league titles as well as the same number of domestic cups before replacing Erik ten Hag while playing an attractive possession-based brand of football.
“I knew the way Sporting was playing, I knew the fans were excited and the players were very happy with him [Amorim] there.
“I think we all saw in the last game that he had there [at Sporting] how much togetherness there was with the players and staff during that time.
“Me and my teammates and the technical staff, including the manager, want to recreate that. To recreate that obviously we need trophies, too.”
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There have been reports that Amorim is only close with his Portuguese compatriots Fernandes and Diogo Dalot but Fernandes cleared the air over such rumours.
Bruno on relationship with Amorim
He claimed that he is not too close with the coach and he converses with him in the same way the other squad members do. But obviously being the captain, instructions are passed to him which might make it seem otherwise.
“I wouldn’t say we’re quite close. We don’t speak that much to be honest. He is a manager that is very, very quiet. Obviously being the captain most of the things he wants to pass to the team many times come to me but many other times doesn’t even come from him but from his staff.
“Obviously, we have a good relationship but I wouldn’t say that is different than any other player. I knew the things that he was doing at Sporting but it wasn’t someone I knew personally.”
Hopefully, the duo can combine to great effect in the months to come. Amorim was full of praise for his captain after his Arsenal display and has plans of playing him in an advanced role in the future.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
