Sport
Amorim oversees first Man Utd training session as fan spots he lined-up in 3-4-3
Ruben Amorim took charge of his first training as Manchester United manager on Monday.
Amorim was confirmed on November 1 as the man to succeed Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, but he did not start his new job until November 11 as he was on notice at former club Sporting Lisbon.
The 39-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in Europe and he finally got to work at United's training ground in Carrington this week.
Amorim did not have a full squad of first-team players to work with as many of its top stars were on international duty.
But the likes of Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Leny Yoro all took part in Monday's session.
Amorim had his players perform a series of exercises and also set up a practice match.
During the session, Amorim looked to select his strongest available team against a young opponent.
Amorim used a 3-4-3 formation for the majority of his 231 games in charge of Sporting and it appears he is keen to stick with that system.
Footage from Monday's training was shared across United's social media channels and fans were intrigued by what they saw.
One fan, an
After studying several clips, he came to the conclusion that Amorim had gone with Yoro, Jonny Evans and Shaw as his back three.
The four players in midfield were apparently Antony, Casemiro, Mainoo and Tyrell Malacia, with Amad Diallo, Rashford and Mason Mount as the three most attacking players.
Many United fans responded to @utdrobbo and commissioned his research, while several comments welcomed the idea of Rashford playing centrally as a number 9.
It is highly unlikely that the ten outfield players who worked together in training will all start against Ipswich on Sunday in Amorim's first game in charge.
However, it is likely that Amorim will field his team in a 3-4-3 shape at Portman Road.
United start next weekend 13th in the Premier League with just 15 points from their first eleven games this season.
After taking on Ipswich, United will host Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League four days later.
United have taken six points from a possible 12 in Europe this season, after drawing against Twente, Porto and Fenerbahce before beating PAOK Salonika.
Amorim gave his first interview as United boss last Friday when he spoke to MUTV. Discussing his decision to accept United's offer, he said: 'First of all, I think I felt a connection with the club. And when I say with the club: everyone knows Manchester United.
'But I feel the connection with the people in the club and that is very important to me, because I want to work with people I like and feel a connection with.'
He added: 'The second point is the history of this club. And I also think that all people are hungry for success and I feel like this is the place I want to be because of that too, because you can be part of something special, and not just one more. And I really like that.'
Amorim also spoke highly of United's fan base. “If you see the matches here, the interaction with the managers, with the players, even in difficult moments, I think it is a special club,” he said. 'So there are many reasons. But the first reason is that it is a club with a great history.'