Ruben Amorim's three crucial traits that Man Utd hierarchy admire most about new boss

Ruben Amorim is poised to take over at Old Trafford next month, and there were three traits he displayed that forced Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s hand

Incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim charmed the club’s hierarchy with his tactical genius, work ethic and style of play.

With Erik ten Hag shown the exit door and Ruud van Nistelrooy employed to keep the hot seat warm, a deal was struck on Wednesday for Sporting CP boss Amorim, who will imminently become the youngest head coach in history to lead the Red Devils.

His resume makes for excellent reading: a pair of Portuguese league titles, including a 2021 success that was the club’s first in 19 years, and four domestic cup trophies – one a shock upset of Porto with former club Braga.

But, it wasn’t just his physical accolades that forced United's hierarchy to bite however, as they also admire a lot of his characteristics that, they feel, will see him succeed in the Premier League.

According to the Daily Star, they've been keeping an eye on Amorim for some time – suggesting that they could have seen him as a potential option this summer when it was made public that replacements for Ten Hag were being talked to.

During this time, they built up a profile of the 39-year-old that depicts him as admirable due to his tactical nous, impeccable work ethic, and fresh style of play.

Amorim lines up his side in an adaptable 3-4-3 formation, which switches into a 4-2-4 when building up, a 5-2-3 when defending, and a 3-2-5 when attacking. This philosophy mirrors one of Europe’s most sought-after pioneering managers, Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso.

A wing-backed style of play that emphasises width and adaptable marking systems that can either be zonal or man-to-man based on the opponent - as seen when Sporting faced Tottenham and Arsenal in 2022 and 2023 - ticked further boxes for United.

Furthermore, the driven Portuguese coach has also been described in such a complementary manner by one of his managerial peers, Nacional’s Tiago Margarido, who, much like United, believes Amorim possesses the tactical and personal qualities to be a top Premier League manager.

"Ruben [Amorim] is an example for younger coaches, not only because of what his teams show but also because of his attitude and ability to communicate," Margarido stated after being defeated by Amorim's side this week.

“Whatever happens, I wish him all the best. I think he'll be a great signing for Manchester United, and I think he'll be very successful in England.”

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