Many Red Devils fans, and football supporters in general, are wondering when Ruben Amorim will make his Man Utd debut.
The Sporting CP manager has been confirmed to be the new man to take over from Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, although interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy is in charge for now until the Portuguese walks through the door. The Man Utd legend has already taken the reins in two games, thumping fellow Premier League rivals Leicester City 5-2 at home in the Carabao Cup round of 16, before securing a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford against Chelsea in the English top flight.
Next up for the Red Devils is the visit of Greek side PAOK in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) tonight, but will Amorim finally take the reins at Old Trafford?
Ruben Amorim Man Utd debut: Will new boss take reins against PAOK?
Van Nistelrooy is expected to take interim charge when PAOK visit Old Trafford in the UEL tonight, so Amorim will not be in the dugout. However, if reports are to be believed, his first game could be on Sunday 24th November, when Man Utd travel to Ipswich Town in the Premier League. Until then, the Red Devils also host Leicester in the Premier League over the weekend, in a repeat of Van Nistelrooy's managerial debut in the Carabao Cup.
After this weekend's round of fixtures is the next international break, where Amorim could officially start his work at Man Utd after he officially leaves Sporting. That would give a chance for fringe players who are not expected to join up with their nations to make an early impression in training, as Amorim assesses which players that he would like to keep for the long-term future and which ones he would prefer to move on.
What formation does Amorim play?
Nonetheless, what can we expect from Amorim on the field when he does take charge? He typically operates a 3-4-3 formation, with wing-backs that have the licence to bomb forward and support the attacks, and typically tall central defenders that can dominate both physically and aerially. Amorim also likes to play with two box-to-box midfielders, who have enough energy to play both an attacking and defensive role all over the pitch.
Who could Amorim's style benefit and hinder in the Man Utd squad?
In terms of potential benefiters, Harry Maguire may get more starts due to his height, physicality and aerial threat, while Diogo Dalot would surely relish being given more licence to go forward as a wing-back. Kobbie Mainoo's youthful energy and athleticism may also be favoured in the middle of the park, while Manuel Ugarte has worked with Amorim before, and so both could form a formidable new two-man partnership in midfield.
However, Amorim's style could hinder the likes of Lisandro Martinez, a smaller centre-back who is perhaps not as physically dominant as someone like Maguire, while Bruno Fernandes could struggle with a more defensively-minded role, and there are no obvious solutions at left wing-back given the constant injury problems to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
Will Amorim have a successful debut?
Amorim's first managerial job was with Casa Pia AC in the 2018/19 season, and started with a resounding 6-0 victory over Graciosa in the Taca de Portugal. He then moved onto SC Braga B before eventually coaching the first team in the 2019/20 campaign, thumping B-SAD 7-1 in Liga Portugal on debut.
The 39-year-old took charge of Sporting in March of that season, beating CD Aves 2-0 in Liga Portugal in his maiden match. So pure history suggests that Amorim will start off with a win on his Man Utd managerial debut – but the Premier League is, of course, a huge step up from Portugal's top flight.
