Amorim assembles first Man Utd XI, hands Antony new position and redefines defenders’ roles in debut training session
RUBEN AMORIM’S debut training session lifted the lid on his amazing plans to restore Manchester United to the top of English football.
The Portuguese boss took charge at Carrington this week ahead of Sunday’s trip to Ipswich Town.
Amorim will be eager to start his reign with an emphatic win.
And United fans are hoping for a taste of the success he brought to former side Sporting Lisbon.
Amorim’s first training session saw him work with a handful of senior stars, with the majority of his squad away on international duty.
But that didn’t stop the tactician from getting properly stuck in.
The likes of Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw were still in town.
While youngsters including Leny Yoro and Kobbie Mainoo were available after injury issues.
However, Amorim made sure to include several surprises on the training ground – including the promotion of 16-year-old 6ft 5in wonderkid Godwill Kukonki.
The former Portugal midfielder wore a bright red coat as he oversaw a feisty session.
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From a new formation to taking a hands-on role himself, Amorim immediately brought the energy back to United’s training sessions.
Here, SunSport runs through the biggest moments from Amorim’s Carrington debut…
NEW FORMATION
Amorim won two titles with Sporting playing a 3-4-3 system.
United have been a solid back-four side stretching all the way back to Fergie’s days.
And many were left wondering whether Amorim would stick with the same old tried-and-trusted formula.
But it appears clear he will not be compromising his own methods for the sake of history.
Amorim deployed a 3-4-3 shape during his first practice match, with some very interesting new roles.
Rashford was moved centrally as the main striker, allowing Amad Diallo and Mason Mount to take up advanced positions in the pockets.
While Luke Shaw and Yoro sat either side of Jonny Evans as Amorim’s trio of centre-backs.
ANTONY’S ROLE
Questions have been circling over Antony’s future for months now.
He failed to impress in his natural position as a winger under Erik ten Hag.
Yet Amorim clearly has other plans for the Brazilian.
Antony was deployed as a WING-BACK at Carrington yesterday, giving him full freedom of the right flank.
With extra men inside, he appeared confident at not having to cover for a marauding full-back.
And Amorim’s positional shift could end up giving Antony a new lease of life.
DEFENCE TO ATTACK
Yoro, Evans and Shaw were at the heart of everything on the field.
Amorim is known for his probing football achieved through sharp and quick passes.
And it quickly became apparent that all his attacks will start from the defence.
United’s three defenders were encouraged to move the ball quickly from side to side.
They appeared to be under instructions to take two touches maximum in a bid to speed up the forward play.
And the days of United struggling to build from the back could be over.
MAINOO MAIN MAN
Teen ace Mainoo already looks to have cemented himself as a big player for Amorim.
The midfielder was back on the field after a month on the sidelines.
And Amorim took an immediate shine to one of United’s most talented players.
With the Red Devils looking to start from defence, Mainoo’s role as a deep playmaker has become even more important.
Amorim could be seen having an intense one-on-one conversation with the youngster during a break in play.
United’s new boss appeared to be showing Mainoo how to position himself while without the ball.
And Amorim also instructed him on how to receive a pass from the centre-backs before pivoting and driving forward into the opponents’ half.
HANDS-ON RUBEN
Fans will always get excited when they see their manager getting stuck in.
But Amorim is so full of energy he could likely pull on a shirt and play this weekend.
He held nothing back as he put himself in the middle of United’s session.
The boss got involved with plenty of running and touches of the ball.
Amorim made sure he commanded attention with his very own whistle.
And his bright red coat was hard to miss as he shouted words of encouragement from beginning to end.
KEEPER’S ROLE
Andre Onana’s position at United has always come under the spotlight.
Lacking David de Gea’s goal-stopping prowess, much was made of his ball-playing ability.
But that was never realised under the old regime, leaving Onana exposed while attempting to play out.
However, those days could be over under Amorim.
His training goalkeeper was constantly receiving hints from a coach throughout the session.
And there were no long balls to be seen, with the young stopper getting counter-attacks against the seniors going with sharp short passes.
MOVEMENT IS KEY
From the outside, Amorim could be seen constantly telling players where to move.
An early training drill had two players sprinting in a tight space attempting to win balls from teammates who could only take one touch at a time.
On the field, Amorim pointed to spaces as players were encouraged to anticipate passes from teammates.
But United’s new boss was also thinking about his side out of possession too.
Whenever the seniors lost the ball, the entire group were made to sprint back to their own half.
This saw United put up a strong defensive block to prevent counter attacks, while also allowing themselves to get back in position for fresh build-up play.
And it’s clear Amorim is just as focused on keeping goals out as he is on scoring them.