Man United: Successful preseason? Amorim and the Premier League challenge

Reality Bites a Rebuilt Manchester United on US Tour

Manchester United’s pre-season in the United States, although generally positive, has served as a reminder of the challenges facing the team. Ruben Amorim, upon returning to Manchester, reflected on the need for substantial improvement in all aspects of the club, from the players to the staff and the fans. Following comfortable victories against West Ham and Bournemouth, the 2-2 draw with Everton at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium exposed recurring problems. Bruno Fernandes called the performance “lazy”, and although Amorim didn’t fully agree, he didn’t defend his captain either.

“I think we had some difficulties today. The feeling of not performing as we should, but it was good. I think it’s the perfect feeling to go back to Carrington. We leave with the feeling that we need to improve many things”.

Ruben Amorim

Amorim, with an optimistic mindset, understands the magnitude of the challenge of leading United to a successful season after their worst performance in over 50 years. The main goal is to return to Europe, which will require closing a gap of more than 20 points.

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Amorim, after eight months since his appointment as Erik ten Hag’s successor, has sought a fresh start. He made the decision to exclude Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia from the tour, making it clear that only committed players would be welcome. The focus in the United States has been team above all else, with new rules to encourage coexistence. Larger circular tables were ordered in the team’s dining room at the hotel to prevent the formation of small groups.

Marcus Rashford’s departure, who joined Barcelona on loan, was partly due to his tendency to only associate with one friend. Amorim believes that good relationships off the field improve performance on it. In Chicago, the players had free time to walk around and relax. Amorim opted for fewer double training sessions, prioritizing time for team bonding. The staff valued that, on a night off, the entire team went to a restaurant together. Amorim maintains discipline, but avoids treating players like children, based on his experiences at Benfica and Braga. Ten Hag, on the other hand, was strict with schedules, something that Amorim relaxes, although he does not tolerate tardiness in training.

Amorim and his team asked the players to return in better shape, with personalized programs during the holidays. GPS trackers were used to monitor the intensity of the training, and any player who did not meet the standards was publicly singled out.

“If you don’t train the right way, I have images to show you. And I’ll show them to you in front of everyone.”

Ruben Amorim

Amorim expects the dressing room, with a new six-member leadership team, to begin self-managing. Bruno Fernandes will have the support of Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martínez, Noussair Mazraoui and Tom Heaton to address internal issues. Minor problems will be managed by the group, while major ones will reach Amorim. Amorim has made it clear that he is responsible for the training, keeping his distance during the warm-up and delegating free kicks to his assistant Carlos Fernandes. Emphasis has been placed on gym work, after noticing difficulties in individual duels last season.

The training includes exercises such as timed pull-ups and race simulations disguised as shooting practice. Amorim leads the tactical analyses, with the players physically moving to show them the correct positions.

“I think we’ll get to a point, hopefully, where we can play almost with our eyes closed. We know where everyone is going to be on the field.”

Diogo Dalot

Following criticism of the 2023 tour organization, changes have been made, reducing commercial work and prioritizing the team’s stay in one place. Luke Shaw praised the facilities and the club’s support.

Despite the optimism, Amorim is aware that the real test will come in the first five Premier League matches, three of which are against Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea. Joshua Zirkzee summarized the situation at United, stating that the fans expect to “see action on the field.” The success of the preseason will be confirmed when Arsenal visits Old Trafford on August 17.