Manchester United begin what they hope will be a journey back to their former glory as new head coach Ruben Amorim takes charge for the first time at Ipswich on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
As the Premier League returns after the final international interlude of the year, Man Utd's trip to Portman Road offers perhaps the most intriguing storyline of a packed weekend, and captain Bruno Fernandes is under no illusions that the magnitude of the task – under the watch eye of global media – is as big as it has ever been.
“Obviously Sporting is a big club in Portugal but it doesn't have the same attention globally as Man Utd, so I think the manager is aware of that,” the midfielder said, speaking exclusively to Sky Sports from Carrington.
“The expectations at this club are very high every time and patience is something that doesn't work in football,” he added.
Amorim is the sixth candidate to fill the top job at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson left the hotseat 11 years ago, but the first to do so under the title of head coach.
Most of his newly-minted squad have been away on international duty since his big unveiling, which has only allowed for two training sessions with a full complement of players, but that's been plenty of time to get acquainted with his 'strict and direct' style . says Fernandes.
“It's just the beginning, but you can clearly see what he stands for, how much intensity he wants to put into every training session. But then he and his staff are very strict, but open at the same time.
“They came to one of the biggest clubs in the world, they know expectations will be high, some people will have doubts, others will think he will do everything straight away and be brilliant, so he knows what people expect.”
With just four wins from their opening eleven games, Man Utd are currently languishing in 13th place in the Premier League – although such a tightly packed table means they are just four points behind the top four.
Clearly, the need to hit the ground running is the top priority. “The manager has pointed out to us some things that he believes need to be changed by us and we need to follow them,” Fernandes said.
“Obviously not everyone starts, not everyone plays, but everyone will be involved, and he wants everyone to feel the same attention and the same desire to win.”
During his first press conference at Manchester United, Amorim delivered a familiar message: “We have to win games, win time, win titles,” he said.
Such sentiment is common when a new coach with a growing reputation arrives in the Premier League – many will remember Erik ten Hag's testimonial to similar effect in the summer of 2022.
But Amorim, in an admittedly short coaching career, has not yet failed and already seems to have won the early support of his players. “It's very direct, what he wants, what he demands, and we just have to follow the rules,” Fernandes continues. “I think communication was part of his success and I think he's very good at that.
“We can't focus too far because I think that's been our problem lately, working too much ahead.
“My role is to encourage everyone to join the coaching staff, with new ideas, to make everyone understand that we are now taking a different path and that we should be the ones who are most excited about that. “
Amorim's steadfast belief extends to his approach, with the former Sporting boss said to be ready to implement his 3-4-3 system on Sunday despite limited preparation time. Where Fernandes fits into that equation will obviously be a hot topic.
“These are his ideas, we just have to go with them and do our best,” says the captain. Translating such an ethos into a clear and defined identity – something Man Utd lacked under Ten Hag – while achieving positive results will certainly be Amorim's biggest managerial task yet.
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