Rúben Amorim has told Manchester United fans that his team will play “without fear” in his first interview since being appointed the club’s new head coach.
The former Sporting CP boss is settling into his job at Old Trafford after arriving in Manchester on Monday and is set to take his first training sessions next week.
His first game will be against Ipswich Town on Nov. 24 and Amorim said supporters will see a brave, attack-minded team right away.
“We know it will take time and we will try to win time with the games,” Amorim said. “But we have to start from day one without fear, without thinking that they are not used to playing like this.
“This is not on my mind. They will start on the first day with our idea, no matter what. That’s the goal.”
Amorim is expected to implement his 3-4-3 system that proved so successful at Sporting — a departure from the 4-3-3 used by predecessor Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag was often criticised during his reign for fielding a team without a clear plan.
Amorim, however, has said his version of United will have a strong “identity.”
“The most important thing for me is identity,” he said. “From day one we will start with our identity. A lot of people now talk about the 3-4-3 and the 4-3-3 and all that stuff. But when I think of Manchester United, it is not a system of formation, it’s like the character of the players, the way they see the club.
“The most important thing for me at this moment is to create the principles, the identity and the character that we had in the past. So if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, is identity.”
Amorim and his staff are still waiting for their visa before officially starting work. In the meantime, the Portuguese coach has been learning about the club’s history and took a tour of Old Trafford on Thursday.
In an effort to reconnect the players with the club and its history, Amorim said he will encourage the squad to do the same.
“When the players come here, they should make the same tour with the same guy all the time,” Amorim said. “I think this is very important to do. It is one thing that you have to feel that this is Manchester United and it’s normal. If you are a lot of years without winning, you start losing that.
“So you have to be very clear on the message that you want to put on the players. So I think we need to put all the players doing the same thing, to regain that feeling.”
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