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Bruno Fernandes believes Ruben Amorim can have the same massive impact at Manchester United that the young manager had at Sporting
Ruben Amorim and Bruno Fernandes (AP)
Bruno Fernandes hopes new manager Ruben Amorim can “change the energy” at struggling Manchester United after the Portuguese coach checked in at the Premier League club.
Amorim arrived at the Carrington training complex on Monday for meetings but cannot begin coaching until his work visa is confirmed.
The 39-year-old, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag, guided Sporting Lisbon to two titles in four seasons and left them with 11 wins in 11 league matches this season.
Amorim was appointed head coach after manager Erik ten Hag was sacked on Oct. 28 after a string of bad results which left United languishing in 14th in the Premier League standings.
United had three wins and a draw from the four games interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy took charge, climbing to 13th and four points off the top three.
“Sometimes a person can change the energy of a space, if it’s the right moment,” Fernandes, who left Sporting for United just before Amorim took over, told MUTV.
“We hope that he can come and this is the right moment for him to come and bring his energy, bring his qualities and his knowledge of football, because he’s done something really, really special at Sporting.
“If someone doubts that, it’s about just looking at the past. Sporting was to be about 20 years without winning the league and he got back to win the league, and he won it two times in four years with a really youthful team, in a moment of change.”
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Captain Fernandes said managing United, who have not won the Premier League since 2013, would be a different challenge from the Sporting job.
“He’s a really smart manager that has done really good things for Sporting tactically,” Fernandes said. “But obviously as we always say, you can’t bring or transform what he has done at Sporting into here, because you have different players, you have different ways of playing and everything.
“I’m pretty sure that the idea of football he has, independent of the way he wants to play, is going to be a good one and it’s going to bring us success.”
Amorim is United’s sixth permanent managerial appointment since the end of Alex Ferguson’s trophy-filled 27-year reign in 2013.
United are 13th in the Premier League table after a poor start to the season but are only four points off the top four.
Amorim’s first match in charge will be away at struggling Ipswich on November 24, following the current international break.
(With inputs from Agencies)