The five biggest problems Ruben Amorim needs to fix as Man Utd manager

Ruben Amorim faces the biggest challenge of his managerial career after reaching an agreement to succeed Erik ten Hag as the next Manchester United head coach.

It emerged on Thursday morning that United have reached an agreement with Sporting Lisbon over the hire of Amorim as head coach, just days after they sacked Erik ten Hag following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham.

Earlier this week, United informed Sporting of their intention to activate Amorim's release clause of around €10 million [£8.3m] after he verbally agreed to take over.

The 39-year-old is set to take charge of his first United game on November 24 – when the Reds take on Ipswich Town – but for the time being, he will remain at Sporting for games against Estrela Amadora, Manchester City and Braga.

In the coming months, Amorim will be met with a number of lingering issues. Mike Phelan, who worked as United's assistant under Sir Alex Ferguson, thinks implementing a clear style of play will set Amorim up for success.

“The group of players that he’s got and he’s inheriting, that’s an important thing. He’s got to do his homework on them, he knows that results haven’t been great," Phelan told talkSPORT.

“But, I also think for Manchester United and a coach’s point of view, he has to create some sort of performance, an identity on the football field. Who are they? What are they going to be under this coach?"

Phelan added: “That has to be a relatively immediate effect – it has to show itself quickly because that’s what he’ll get judged on pretty early. Then he can build from there, if he’s got some money left of course.”.

Amorim certainly has a huge job on his hands amid such a poor run of form. So what other problems will Amorim face?

Removing dead wood from squad

Amorim has already ‘spoken with the board’ about his potential transfer plans, according to Team Talk, who claim Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Casemiro and Antony are not part of his so-called 'long-term' targets.

United's board, meanwhile, agree that their performances 'do not reflect their respective wages'.

Get Marcus Rashford firing again

Rashford, who has notched four goals in 15 games for United this season, is 'thrilled' at the prospect of Amorim becoming Manchester United’s new manager, according to Team Talk. In fact, he believes the Portuguese coach can help turn his poor form around.

He has shown glimpses of his old self this season but Amorim needs to use his "outgoing" nature to get the best out of Rashford.

Getting defence accustomed to new formation

Amorim favours a 3-4-3 formation that focuses on high pressing and possession. His teams drive forward in a 3-2-5 shape and defend as a compact 5-2-3 – a very different system to the one Erik ten Hag implemented during his reign.

There are plenty of options at centre-back, with Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans all viable options. They must adapt quickly.

Image credit: Getty

Fixing the problem at left-back

Amorim is also known for using attacking wing-backs but there's an issue. United have been without a recognised left-back for months.

Luke Shaw is expected to be out for the foreseeable future after suffering a fresh injury setback, while Tyrell Malacia has not played a competitive fixture for Manchester United since May 2023 after undergoing knee surgery last summer.

United continue to be linked with a move for Benfica full-back Alvaro Carreras; who has a reported £16 million buy-back clause in his contract.

Address lack of goals

Erik ten Hag highlighted a lack of goals as the biggest factor behind the club's poor start to the season. They have scored just eight goals in their opening nine league games, with Alejandro Garnacho leading the scoring charts with two.

Amorim knows how to find the net. Sporting scored 96 goals on their way to winning the Primeira Liga title last season as Viktor Gyokeres netted 29 goals in 33 games.

Gyokeres could be a long-term solution but for the time being, Amorim will need to get the best out of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who have one goal each in the league.