Bruno Fernandes wishes for Ruben Amorim to ‘change the energy’ at Manchester United

LONDON – Bruno Fernandes hopes new manager Ruben Amorim can “change the energy” at struggling Manchester United, after the Portuguese coach checked in at the English Premier League club.

Amorim arrived at the Carrington training complex on Nov 11 for meetings, but cannot officially begin coaching until his work visa is confirmed.

The 39-year-old, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag, guided Sporting Lisbon to two top-flight league titles in four full seasons, and left them with 11 wins in 11 league matches this campaign.

“Sometimes a person can change the energy of a space, if it’s the right moment,” Fernandes, who left Sporting for United just before Amorim took over, told MUTV.

“We hope that he can come and this is the right moment for him to come and bring his energy, bring his qualities and his knowledge of football, because he’s done something really special at Sporting.

“If someone doubts that, just look at the past. Sporting was to be about 20 years without winning the league and he got back to win the league, and he won it two times in four years with a really youthful team, in a moment of change.”

However, the club captain also said that managing United, who have not won the Premier League since 2013, would be a different challenge from the Sporting job.

“Obviously, you can’t bring or transform what he has done at Sporting into here, because you have different players, you have different ways of play and everything,” added the 30-year-old.

“But I’m pretty sure that the idea of football he has, independent of the way he wants to play, is going to be a good one and it’s going to bring us success.”

Amorim is United’s sixth permanent managerial appointment since the end of Alex Ferguson’s trophy-filled 27-year reign in 2013.

United are 13th in the Premier League table after a poor start to the season, but are only four points off the top three.

They had three wins and a draw from the four games interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy took charge, climbing to their current position.

Van Nistelrooy left the club on Nov 11 after learning he would not be a part of Amorim’s staff.

Amorim had immediately endeared himself to the Old Trafford faithful when his Sporting side thrashed Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League on Nov 5.

His first match in charge will be away at struggling Ipswich Town on Nov 24, following the current international break.

In other news, United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly lodged legal notices reserving the right to claim compensation if City are found to have breached Premier League financial rules.

The Times of London said the notices had been lodged now over concerns that the clubs could be out of time to do so under the statute of limitations if they waited for an outcome in the case.

City were charged with 115 breaches of top-flight rules in February 2023, charges which the club have always strenuously denied.

An independent commission hearing in the case began on Sept 16 at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London. The hearing was reported at the time to be scheduled for 10 weeks.

No outcome is expected until the new year.

The clubs are reported to have been advised that the six-year statute of limitations could potentially date back to November 2018, when German magazine Der Spiegel first published allegations against City, prompting the Premier League to open an investigation.

The Times said the clubs could look to claim compensation under the league’s arbitration rules in the event City, bought by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, are found guilty of some of the serious charges facing them.

The club have previously said they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to support their stance.

City have dominated English football in recent years, winning six out of the past seven Premier League titles. AFP, REUTERS