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New Man Utd boss Amorim: ‘I will do my thing, my way’
Ruben Amorim insisted he will “do my thing, my way” at Manchester United rather than worrying about where his predecessors went wrong.
The 39-year-old will be on the sidelines for his first match as United's head coach on Sunday when they take on Ipswich Town, taking over from caretaker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Amorim was confirmed as the new head coach at Old Trafford in early November after Erik ten Hag was sacked following a poor run of results.
However, the former Sporting CP boss will not look to the past for answers as he aims to turn United's fortunes around.
“I will not try to find out what is the right thing to do or find out what was missing with Erik ten Hag, with Jose Mourinho, with Louis van Gaal,” Amorim told Sky Sports.
“I'm not going to try that because I think it's a waste of time. They chose me because they saw something and I do something in a clear way.
'I really don't know what [other managers] I miss it here, but I know I'll do my thing, my way, and try to find what's missing in my way of watching football.”
Ipswich Town.Portman Road. 16:30 GMT.
We will be there.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/0eHCSDYmhE
– Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 21, 2024
Ten Hag guided United to two trophies but struggled to maintain form in all competitions as the team finished a disappointing eighth in the Premier League.
It adds to the club's ongoing struggles since the departure of Alex Ferguson, as United have failed to win a league title since 2013 despite their illustrious history. But Amorim believes he can achieve success.
“We will have very difficult moments, but in the end I really believe we will succeed,” he said.
“The first impression is that it is so big, with many departments. I come from a big club in a small country. Here is a different world.”
“You have a lot to do. You are not just a coach. You have to be something more.
“So it's a bit different, but I think I'm prepared for that. And it's Manchester United. It doesn't matter in recent years.”
Amorim enjoyed great success at Sporting and won two league titles.
He took charge of 231 matches in all competitions, the most in the club's history, and won 164 of those matches, losing only 33 times, with his 71% winning percentage also being a club record. His team scored 510 goals, an average of 2.2 per game.
After a successful four-match spell for interim boss Russ van Nistelrooy, Amorim officially took charge at Old Trafford on November 11.
However, he understands that fans may still be wary of the future given what has happened before.
“I know our fans have mixed feelings right now: 'I want to be excited, but I've been here, so I'm a little scared. It's the same story all the time. I might be disappointed,'” Amorim said.
“So what I can say is that I'm very excited. I'm not afraid to show it. But I have a clear idea that this will take time.
“Don't confuse my happiness with naivety. It's not the same. I'm really happy.
“I know what I have to do. But I feel like we're going to suffer a little bit before we improve the way you should improve.”