Manchester United

Manchester United

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What Man Utd players have said about Ruben Amorim – ‘A fantastic coach’

Ruben Amorim, Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund

Man Utd players are excited about Ruben Amorim's arrival

Ruben Amorim is set to begin his work as the new Manchester United head coach and there is a sense of excitement around Old Trafford.

Amorim forged a reputation as one of Europe’s brightest coaches after winning two Primeira Liga titles at Sporting CP.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that the United squad view him as a modern appointment with forward planning and one that will bring the club in line with some of its biggest rivals.

We’ve taken a look at what the United players have said about their new head coach.

Bruno Fernandes

– “Since Mr Amorim arrived at Sporting, it has been one of the teams to play the best football,” Fernandes told CNN Portugal in October.

“They have been consistent, the signings have been right and they are in a very good moment. It’s a very well prepared team.

“In relation to Amorim, he shows that he is prepared at this moment. Coaching Sporting and winning championships is not easy, Sporting went 20 years without winning championships and Amorim arrived and has already won two, this shows that the work has been done well.

“If he could manage to do the same in England, Spain or anywhere else, you will never know until you get there, but I’m sure his qualities are there for everyone to see.”

– “I am a big fan of Sporting and watch a lot of their games,” he said after United’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea. “Ruben Amorim brought the excitement back to the club – it was a little bit split when he came [to Sporting]. He transformed everything and brought everyone together.”

– “We are all excited, it is a time of transition,” he told DAZN. “He is a coach who has changed Sporting along with its structure, put the club in the place it deserves and we hope he does the same here.

“We want to follow the same path here together that he did at Sporting.”

– “Obviously for me, what stands out as I said to you is the connection he has with the players,” Fernandes told United’s official website.

“You see it at the end of the game when a manager is going from your club in the middle of the season and with all the things that they have still to win.

“And you see the way they say goodbye to him, the way they feel, they make him feel part of the team and how they treat him. So it shows that this is a great character and he’s someone that gives his all to the players.”

Manuel Ugarte

– “We talked about things that have nothing to do with football,” Ugarte said after leaving Sporting CP in 2023. “I really like him, I learned a lot from him. I hope that in the future he will be my coach again.”

– “I saw that Sporting fans were upset and that’s understandable, because the coach is a great coach,” he told DAZN. “It’s good for United, we have to take advantage of it and get him to convey his ideas as quickly as possible.

“I think it’s going to be a different dynamic and the day-to-day will be similar to Sporting’s. The league, the country, the football… It’s a big challenge for him but we all know he has the ability.”

Diogo Dalot

“Personally I don’t know him,” Dalot said. “What I know is from what I see, from what I get from my national team team-mates. He’s obviously a fantastic coach, with a young mentality, but at the same time he knows what he wants.

“He’s very demanding – that’s what I can expect and I think that’s the perfect match for a club like this.

“The standards are really high. He is a person that you can see has really high standards and he stands by them, so I hope that can be a really good match and that we can win together. That’s what I hope the most.”

Casemiro

“The best thing is that everyone speaks highly of him,” he said. “He marked an era at Sporting, at a time when FC Porto were the winners.

“Sporting are always among the three favourites, but they are usually a little behind Benfica and FC Porto, who are usually stronger. He marked an era, won titles and had a brilliant career at Sporting. Everyone speaks highly of him.”

He added: “He will have an exceptional group here, who want to help, who want to continue growing, who want to learn, who want to be at the top of the table. We are waiting for him with great joy and happiness.”

Christian Eriksen

“I am looking forward to coming back,” he said. “Of course, I’ve seen his results recently and I’ve seen how much Sporting has suddenly come into the media and won a lot of games – including against Manchester City.

“I hope he comes in and creates a breath of fresh air, and then we have to see how it goes.”

Rasmus Hojlund

“I am really looking forward to this,” Hojlund said when asked about Amorim’s arrival. “He has great ideas. I’ve seen how they play.

“I spoke with [Sporting CP midfielder] Morten Hjulmand about it, and he is also very pleased with the coach, so I am eager for him to start.

“From what I’ve seen so far, he plays a three-man defence and it might be a bit different from what I’m used to in the past. So, it will be exciting to see how he implements his ideas, and I am looking forward to working with a young, ambitious coach.

“I think that’s a good thing, he understands what modern football is about. I don’t necessarily see his youth as a negative aspect. On the contrary, it could even bring something extra.

“We usually talk at the club or when we are with the national team about how things are going. There, Morten Hjulmand only talked about the great ideas and a slightly different approach than what he might be used to.”

Amad

“I am excited to have him in this team and I can’t wait to work with him,” Amad said after United’s 2-0 win over PAOK.

“Everyone is here to give his best, and sometimes it’s good. So today we have to enjoy together, and we are ready for the next step.”

Andre Onana

“I did watch the game yesterday, it was a great victory for them,” Onana said when asked about Sporting’s 4-1 win over Manchester City.

“It’s a different system but my team-mates are all pragmatic. I think everyone here is capable of playing in each system so I don’t think this will be an issue for us. We have big players, they will step up.”

Man Utd goalkeeper Andre Onana

Matthijs de Ligt

– “I don’t know much about him yet, but I do know that he did a good job at Sporting,” De Ligt said. “With a new coach, it’s always a bit of a wait and see. You have to do your very best and remain yourself.”

– “I’ve played in back three for the national team, but also Juventus and Bayern,” he said. “In the end, like [against Leicester], we played in ball possession with a back three, so let’s see what happens.

“I think a back three or a back four, it’s in general the same, the only thing of importance is how the team is set up. You can play in a back three, but if everything is not compact and everybody is doing their own job, then it’s going to be really difficult, the same in a back four.

“That’s going to be the biggest challenge for the trainers, to get everyone on the same wavelength and same page to improve as a team and improve as players.”

READ MORE: Ruben Amorim in-tray: Seven key issues for new Man Utd head coach to address

Manchester United Bruno Fernandes Ruben Amorim Rasmus Hojlund

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