Rúben Amorim, a relatively unknown figure outside his native Portugal, has been making waves domestically in a league that garners little attention from English fans. His ability to nurture young talent, resulting in lucrative sales for his club, and his reputation for playing an attractive, attacking brand of football, have all been highlighted as key attributes he could bring to Manchester United. As the speculation around his potential appointment continues to grow, one noticeable difference between Amorim and the current United manager, Erik ten Hag, is his full head of thick, dark hair.
Since news of United's interest in Amorim broke, various media outlets have been scrambling to provide insights into the 39-year-old Portuguese manager. Known for driving a Porsche, maintaining fitness through kickboxing, and having a wife who is a qualified engineer, Amorim's preferred formation is 3-4-3. As is typical when a new manager is set to take over at a major club, the contents of his hypothetical Old Trafford “inbox” have been meticulously examined, and fans have speculated on his potential first-choice lineup for Manchester United. Despite all this, Amorim has not yet confirmed whether he wants or will accept the job.
While the world moves quickly and money often dictates outcomes, there remains a chance that Amorim could reject United's offer. After Sporting confirmed United's willingness to pay the £8.5m compensation required to release Amorim from his contract, the manager stated that the decision on whether to take the job would be his alone. “Everything will be clear in a few days time,” he said, adding that he had not yet made a decision and thus it was not worth discussing.
Amorim's reluctance to confirm his intentions is understandable, given his recent talks with West Ham, which angered Sporting fans. With United hoping to have a new manager in place for their upcoming match against Chelsea, each passing hour without a confirmation could see Amorim's rumored salary increase. Currently, the delay in his appointment is attributed to negotiations between United and Sporting over Amorim's 30-day notice period and the potential relocation of his backroom staff.
Join Tim de Lisle for updates on early games, including Brighton 1-2 Liverpool, Manchester United 1-2 Leicester, and Newcastle 0-2 Chelsea. Daniel Harris will cover the late 8.15pm GMT kick-off – Tottenham 2-3 Manchester City.
“I am 57 and can still work a few more years. But I did not see myself on the sidelines for now. It was clear for me that I would do something. So then Red Bull came. For me it is outstanding. I did not want to step on anyone’s toes. I love all my former clubs. But I don’t know what I could have done so that everyone is happy” – Jürgen Klopp, defending his decision to join Red Bull as global head of soccer from next year.
“Manchester United are searching for someone to bring back their fire and rekindle the sizzle of their glory days. In short, they need a ‘Reheat King’. But rearrange those letters and you’re still stuck with Erik ten Hag” – Mark McFadden.
“I know its only tennis, but when a famous Aussie beat Ivan Lendl back in the 80s: ‘Hard Cash beats bad cheque’” – David Speirs.
“I’ve been enjoying the mention of best football headlines in recent editions. But can we also give a mention to one of the worst? After he scored two wonder goals to knock Uruguay out of the World Cup in 2014, the Times of India ran the following headline about Columbia’s James Rodríguez: “The name is Bond, James Rodríguez” – Adam Clarke.
“Surely the best headline is from cricket. After Pakistan seam bowler Abdul Qadir skittled England the headline was: ‘The Sultan of Swing has England in Dire Straits’. Beautiful” – Peter Arnold.
Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … David Speirs, who lands a Football Weekly scarf. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
