Manchester United players have had to contend with "strict" methods from manager Ruben Amorim since he arrived in November 2024, though they recognise the value in his style.
Marcus Rashford bore the brunt of the Manchester United manager's ire in the first few months of his reign, with Amorim both internally and publicly highlighting his displeasure with the now-Aston Villa forward's peformance in training.
But while results are still extremely inconsistent at the club, Amorim looks set to be given the time to turn things around and implement his style and principles on an ailing squad.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim 'strict' on squad
Leny Yoro - who ranked at no.9 in FourFourTwo's list of the most exciting teenagers to watch this season - arrived at Old Trafford last summer while Erik ten Hag was still in charge, but the young Frenchman failed to make a competitive appearance under the Dutch boss, before he was replaced by Amorim, due to injury.
Amorim's arrival has seen Yoro gain increasing responsibility in the first team, though, with the defender having made 15 appearances in total. Still only 19, Yoro explained to Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand the demands placed on the squad and what Amorim is doing to get the club back to a strong position.
"In training, it's really, I would say, hard," Yoro told Ferdinand on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. "But it's important. We have a lot of training, and for him, training is really important too, because you play the game like you train.
"The most important thing is to be really good in training. If you are not working, if you are lazy in training, he won't like you - he'll kill you! It's normal because you play like you train. He’s really strict on this because, to win games and trophies, you need to be disciplined outside the pitch. You need to be punctual."
Yoro added that Amorim's experience playing for Benfica, which carries great expectation, as well as the Portugal national team, has helped the manager find common ground with his players.
"He's big on communication with the players because he played at a top level," he said. "He’s been at a lot of clubs, so he knows your feelings when you're not playing or when you have a bad game. He knows how to speak with you, and that’s really important for me."
In FourFourTwo's opinion, Amorim's methods were needed at Manchester United in order to raise the standards back to what they once were. While that has meant the likes of Rashford has left the club as a result, it looks set to have a positive impact on the side's long-term future - as long as the players buy into the principles.
Manchester United take on Leicester this weekend in FA Cup action, as the Fourth Round begins.
