Who: Ipswich Town vs Manchester United
What: English Premier League
Where: Portman Road, Ipswich, United Kingdom
When: 4:30pm (15:30 GMT) on Sunday
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will have all the build-up and full text commentary of the game
Ruben Amorim might be Manchester United’s sixth permanent boss since they last hoisted the Premier League trophy in 2013, but the 39-year-old says he is the right man to finally restore the team to their former glory.
The Portuguese, who replaced Erik ten Hag as manager this month, said at a crowded news conference on Friday that he’s “a little bit of a dreamer”, two days before taking charge at Ipswich in his first match. “I believe in myself. I believe in the club. We have the same mindset,” he continued. “I truly believe in the players. I know you [media] don’t believe a lot, but I do. I want to try new things. You guys don’t think it’s possible. I do.”
Amorim spoke at United’s Carrington Training Centre in his first news conference since he joined the team as their head coach on November 11 and after he was forced by his former club Sporting Lisbon to wait until the international break to make the switch.
The intense scrutiny on one of the world’s biggest clubs, who are languishing in 13th spot in the Premier League, has turned the head coach’s position into what many call “the impossible job”.
Amorim shrugged off that notion with a laugh despite the revolving door of managers to fail before him. “Call me naive,” he said. “I truly believe I’m the right guy for the right moment. I’m not worried about that.”
Despite having had just two training sessions with his new team because of the recent international break, Amorim promised fans will see a difference, but not a major overhaul, when United take to the Portman Road pitch.
“Simple things I think,” Amorim said. “We lose the ball too often. We have to be better at running back, and we have to be very good in the details. It’s the small things. We have to improve the small things. Understanding the small things, I think, is what I’m good at.”
Amorim says he’s ‘no Mourinho’ as Portugal sails to Old Trafford once more
Nine Portuguese journalists attended Friday’s event, according to the club, many of them greeting the former Sporting manager with a congratulatory handshake and a hug. Amorim said he received a good luck message from compatriot and former United boss Jose Mourinho that said, “‘It’s a big club, lovely club with lovely people,’ and he’s correct. It still is.”
“[But] we are building a new club. I am a different guy. I hope to teach something different here to my players. It’s the best club in England. We want to win. That’s all.”
Amorim was asked about the difference between his arrival at United and Mourinho joining Chelsea in 2004 when he became the first Portuguese manager in the Premier League. “With all the Portuguese coaches, we’ve shown that we can be the best in the world,” Amorim said. “[But] I’m different from Mourinho. I remember that time. You looked at Mourinho and felt he can win everywhere. It’s not the same thing. He was European champion. I am not.
“Football is different nowadays. I think I am the right person for this moment. I am a young guy, and I try to use this to help my players. Their young guys were [Frank] Lampard and these kind of players. Nowadays, it’s so much different. I think I’m right for now.”
Amorim, who is known for his crowd-pleasing style and charismatic personality, led Sporting to the Primeira Liga title in 2021, ending a 19-year league title drought, before winning a second last season.
After sacking Erik ten Hag on October 28 with only three league wins all season, United moved swiftly to secure Amorim, who is considered one of the top young managers in Europe. Former ten Hag assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy was appointed interim manager, and guided United to three wins in his four games in charge across all competitions, lifting United one place in the league table, just four points off third.
Ipswich Town team news
Former Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is a doubt with an undisclosed issue despite returning from a one-game ban.
George Hirst injured his knee in the victory at Tottenham last weekend, and the striker is set for a spell on the sidelines. Jacob Greaves and Jack Taylor could, however, return from injuries.
Wes Burns and Nathan Broadhead are also expected to be available despite carrying knocks of late, but Omari Hutchinson’s bruised foot means his game time will need to be monitored
Manchester United team news
Lisandro Martinez is the major doubt for United after the defender withdrew from international duty with Argentina due to a sore back.
Leny Yoro could be handed his professional debut for the club, having returned to training this month after fracturing his metatarsal in the preseason.
Head-to-head
United have won four of the teams’ last five meetings, conceding only once in that run. Ipswich last recorded a win against the Red Devils in September 1994.
Overall, United have won 29 and Ipswich 19 of their 57 meetings, dating back to an FA Cup win for the Red Devils’ Busby Babes in January 1958 – little more than a week before the Munich air tragedy that claimed so many players’ and journalists’ lives on board the return flight from a European match.