Manchester United fans have quickly taken to Ruben Amorim, whose charm and charisma has helped him make a strong first impression. Back-to-back victories, the latest of which was a 4-0 thrashing of Everton at Old Trafford, have added to the good feeling towards the new manager.
Amorim has, of course, played down the positive start, insisting there is more work to do for his players to adapt to a new style with different demands. But there were encouraging signs as the Red Devils eased past Everton and went just four points off the top four in the Premier League.
As United romped to victory thanks to braces from Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee, fans began to chant Amorim’s name. But the Portuguese, modest and self-effacing, was apparently not overly happy about it.
Amorim comments on fans singing his name
"I don’t like my chant. I don’t like it,” Amorim said in his press conference before United's trip to Arsenal. “I feel a little bit… not embarrassed but because I’m the coach.
“They have to chant for the players and for the club, so it’s not a good thing for me. I understand and I really appreciate the connection with the supporters, but I want them to support the team and the players, because they are on the pitch – I’m more outside the pitch.
“I’m really honoured about that and I feel a connection with the supporters, but we know that we need results to maintain that."
Turning his attention to the most difficult test of his short tenure, Amorim admitted his side will need bravery at the Emirates, where Arsenal have yet to lose so far this season.
"It's important to be brave,” he said. “When I say brave, it’s not pressing all the time higher. It’s not the same. You have to understand the moments of the game. We need to have the ball, that is a key point.
“We want to have the ball, we want also to dominate some moments of the game because we know that in these matches it’s hard to control all the game. If I have to say something, we have to be brave and we have to control the game.
“It is the best team that we faced by far but the test is every game.Every team now is a test, without so much minutes to train, trying to manage the number of minutes for a lot of players who cannot imagine one game. You have to know some players have to be out of the pitch in 60 minutes... 70 minutes, so it is really hard. In this moment everything is a test.
"Arsenal, for me, I know it’s hard for Manchester United to say but they are in a different point of their team. They are in a different moment."
