Amorim assembles first MU XI, hands Antony new position in training session

RUBEN AMORIM's debut training session lifted the lid on his astonishing plans to return Manchester United to the top flight of English football.

The Portuguese boss took charge at Carrington this week ahead of Sunday's trip to Ipswich Town.

Amorim will want to start his reign with a clear victory.

And United fans will be hoping for a taste of the success he brought to the former Sporting Lisbon.

Amorim's first training saw him work with a handful of senior stars while most of his squad was on international duty.

But that didn't stop the tactician from holding on tight.

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw were still in town.

While youngsters like Leny Yoro and Kobbie Mainoo were available after injury problems.

However, Amorim caused several surprises on the training field.

The former Portuguese midfielder wore a bright red jacket as he oversaw a spirited session.

From a new formation to taking on a hands-on role himself, Amorim immediately brought the energy back to United's training sessions.

Here, SunSport discusses the biggest moments from Amorim's Carrington debut…

NEW FORMATION

Amorim won two titles, with Sporting playing a 3-4-3 system.

United have been a solid back-four side since the days of Fergie.

And many wondered if Amorim would stick to the same old, tried-and-true formula.

But it seems clear that he will not compromise his own methods for the sake of history.

Amorim deployed a 3-4-3 shape in his first practice match, with some very interesting new roles.

Rashford was moved centrally as the main striker, allowing Amad Diallo and Mason Mount to take up advanced positions in the pocket.

While Luke Shaw and Yoro sat either side of Jonny Evans as Amorim's trio of centre-backs.

ANTONY'S ROLE

Questions about Antony's future have been circulating for months.

In his natural position as a winger under Erik ten Hag, he failed to impress.

Yet Amorim clearly has other plans for the Brazilian.

Antony was deployed as WING-BACK at Carrington yesterday, giving him complete freedom on the right flank.

With extra men inside he seemed confident he wouldn't have to provide cover for a marauding full-back.

And Amorim's positional shift could give Antony new life.

DEFENSE FOR ATTACK

Yoro, Evans and Shaw were at the heart of everything on the pitch.

Amorim is known for its penetrating football that is achieved through sharp and fast passing.

And it quickly became clear that all his attacks will start from the defense.

United's three defenders were encouraged to move the ball back and forth quickly.

It appeared they had been instructed to take a maximum of two touches in an attempt to speed up the forward play.

And the days of United struggling to build from the back could be over.

MAINOO HEADMAN

Teenage CEO Mainoo appears to have already cemented himself as a major player for Amorim.

The midfielder was back on the field after a month on the sidelines.

And Amorim made an immediate impression on one of United's most talented players.

Now that the Red Devils want to start from defense, Mainoo's role as a playmaker has become even more important.

Amorim could be seen having an intense one-on-one conversation with the youngster during a break in the game.

United's new boss appeared to show Mainoo how to position himself without the ball.

And Amorim also instructed him how to receive a pass from the central defenders before turning and driving forward into the opponent's half.

HANDS ON RUBEN

Fans will always get excited when they see their manager intervene.

But Amorim is so full of energy that he could probably put on a shirt and play this weekend.

He held nothing back as he thrust himself into the thick of United's session.

The boss got involved by running a lot and touching the ball.

Amorim made sure to draw attention with his own whistle.

And his bright red jacket was hard to miss as he shouted words of encouragement from start to finish.

THE ROLE OF THE HOLDER

Andre Onana's position at United has always been in the spotlight.

In the absence of David de Gea's ability to stop goals, much attention was paid to his ball-playing ability.

But that was never realized under the old regime, leaving Onana exposed as he tried to play out.

Under Amorim, however, those days could be over.

His training goalkeeper received constant hints from a coach throughout the session.

And there were no long balls in sight, with the young stopper counter-attacking the seniors with sharp short passes.

MOVEMENT IS THE KEY

From outside you could see Amorim constantly telling the players where to go.

In an early training exercise, two players sprinted into a tight space in an attempt to win balls from teammates who could only tolerate one touch at a time.

On the pitch, Amorim pointed to spaces as players were encouraged to anticipate passes from teammates.

But United's new boss was also thinking about his side out of possession.

When the seniors lost the ball, the entire group had to sprint back to their own half.

This saw United establish a strong defensive block to prevent counter-attacks, while also allowing themselves to get back into position for further build-up play.

And it's clear that Amorim is as focused on preventing goals as he is on scoring them.