by “I’m excited because it’s new, but you’re always excited about having a new manager, aren’t you?” Siobhan said smiling. She and her sister Shauna head to their perches in the North Stand at Old Trafford with a spring in their step. Kind of a not-quite-imminent rebound from the new head coach, if you will.
With the ink now dry on Rúben Amorim’s contract, the thoughts, indeed the imagination, of Manchester United supporters are turned to the future. A future, as everyone hopes, which will be much better than the present.
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Amorim’s delayed start date – he arrives on November 11 – meant Sunday’s error-riddled 1-1 draw with Chelsea lacked Portuguese flags and T-shirts paying tribute to their new head coach. There wasn’t even one or two spiritual songs coming from Stretford End.
All this will come soon. Still, it was impossible not to feel the anticipation of a new beginning, of a new school year, as the fans arrived.
Almost a week has passed since Erik ten Hag received his P45. But even with that time to think, finding a three-pin plug in mainland Europe would be easier than finding someone in the red half of Manchester willing to argue that the Dutchman’s stay for two and a bit seasons should have lasted longer a long time.
“Whatever is going on at the club, whatever other problems we have, our team being 14th in the league after a quarter of the season, it’s not enough,” said season ticket holder Jack. life. “The decision was inevitable but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t disappointing.”
“I still don’t understand what Ten Hag was trying to achieve,” says Arun. “It’s been miserable coming here – no goals and a lot of defeats.”
“When Erik first came, we liked him,” Shauna said softly. “We still love him and I don’t think he was treated very well. But it seemed the players had lost their tools.
She and her brother insist the atmosphere at Old Trafford under Ten Hag lacked the toxicity present during the latter stages of the David Moyes and Louis van Gaal eras, with Siobhan telling the Guardian there was “some frustration, rather than dislike – all patience had been exhausted. out”.
Bobby, another season ticket holder, says: “I would give his reign a B- or a C+. There have been some incredible moments, but there have been big losses, recruitment concerns and ongoing fitness issues for key players – I can’t remember the last time I saw Luke Shaw play.
“I have some sympathy for Jim Ratcliffe’s team. Ideally they would have replaced him after the FA Cup final victory, but that would have been a very unpopular decision and would have put a lot of pressure on any new manager.
Last Wednesday night, a defeat to Leicester in the Carabao Cup under United’s caretaker leader Ruud van Nistelrooy boosted club morale. “Maybe it was a relief,” Siobhan says. “But there was a rebound physically when we saw the players come out.”
Also on Sunday, Van Nistelrooy had visible enthusiasm, as he rushed into his tech area dressed as the school’s hip humanities teacher. He’s desperate to stay in some capacity, but he’s also desperate to take advantage of what is effectively a three-game testimonial.
But in a week, Van Nistelrooy will entrust Amorim with an undoubtedly considerable task. A decade of overpaying and underperforming, of misstep after misinformed misstep, will require some defeat.
For Arun, the key is Amorim forging “a sort of identity, a philosophy that he adheres to,” saying, “This season, for me, is already a bit of a cancellation. I don’t mind where we end up if we get this identity.
Bobby, who sees positives in the way United and Sporting negotiated the terms of Amorim’s job swap, says: “I suspect he has a lot of problems to solve and a lot of fires to fight right away. on the first day The way this was handled thoughtfully shows an element of foresight, which other appointments may not have had. It gives me a bit of confidence and hope.
“Over the next few months we will call on the Sporting coaching staff and squad to strengthen the squad. It is therefore important to keep relationships cordial and Amorim happy.
Amorim, whatever the meaning of words in football, has declared that he will not return to Lisbon for a poaching period in January, although it is no secret that a group of his collaborators should join in Manchester.
The king is… well, he never really achieved royal status, did he? Long live the king. When he arrives.
