Licha: Ruben shares my passionate outlook

Lisandro Martinez believes Ruben Amorim shares his view of football as a sport with passion at its heart.

Licha has been hugely popular with United supporters since his move from Ajax in the summer of 2022, winning plaudits for his never-say-die attitude and intensity on the pitch.

The central defender identifies those traits as key to his game and feels that there’s been an instant connection with our new head coach, as he clearly values them too.

Martinez also thinks that Ruben’s style of football is a perfect fit to the objectives of United as a club.

“It’s the way I like to play, the way of playing football: the passion, the energy,” Licha told United Review, during an interview you can read in the Nottingham Forest edition of our official programme.

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Licha: Big things are coming

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“You know, if you have that with me, it’s like you connect quickly. He has many, many good things.

“I think he demands what the club demands, which is good.

“I like his passion, his energy, the way he wants to play – good in possession, in defending. I think he’s good – also the staff, the energy around [the place], it [has been] so good, yeah.”

Martinez had prior experience of playing against Amorim’s preferred formation, having been part of the Ajax side which beat Sporting home and away in the 2021/22 Champions League group stages.

While, on paper, the system breaks with recent club tradition at United, as it involves playing three central defenders and wing-backs, Licha feels that, in reality, the defensive shape is a little more nuanced.

“It’s with three in the back but, during the game, you have principles,” he added.

“Sometimes you are with four at the back, you are sometimes with five. It depends how they attack, how we attack, how we are in defence. But yeah, I like it.

“I like the intensity, I like the energy. I like, for example, how he wants to play in possession and without possession as well.

“So, yeah, I feel great in this system.”

Order the latest edition of United Review to read the full interview with Lisandro.

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