Ruben Amorim sends four-word promise to Man Utd fans and makes 'funny' admission
Ruben Amorim has arrived in Manchester and begun preparing for his first match as Manchester United's new head coach after a perfect league start in Portugal with Sporting
by Tom Victor · The MirrorManchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has told fans "we will be ready' when they face Ipswich Town in his first match on November 24.
Amorim arrived in Manchester on Monday, one day after taking charge of his final match with former club Sporting Lisbon. The club are confident he will receive his visa in time for that first match, with his coaching staff also needing approval.
United's new boss has been unable to take training, but the club hopes the matter will be settled by the time a number of squad members return from international duty. Among those on international duty are Argentina's Alejandro Garnacho and Porugal's Bruno Fernandes, though there were no United representatives in Lee Carsley's England squad against Greece.
“This is funny. I’ve watched this room so many times,” Amorim said while sat in Old Trafford's media room during a tour of the stadium. “Sunday, next week. Ipswich. We will be ready.”
United sit 13th in the Premier League table, having picked up four points from two games under Ruud van Nistelrooy following Erik ten Hag's sacking. However, in a congested table, they are just four points away from Champions League qualification.
Their next opponents, Ipswich, are managed by former United coach Kieran McKenna. They picked up their first league win of the season before the international break, beating Tottenham in North London, and sit seven points and four places beneath their next opponents.
Amorim, meanwhile, goes into his first United game off the back of a perfect start in Portugal with Sporting. Their win at Braga on November 10 was an 11th from 11 league games this term, scoring 39 times in the process.
Will Ruben Amorim make a winning start? Have your say in the comments section
Sporting also picked up 10 points from their first four Champions League matches. The last of those was a 4-1 victory over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City, though Amorim recognised he will need to do things a little differently in his new job.
"I feel ready for the new challenge," Amorim said after his final match with Sporting. "I'm not naive, I know it's going to be very different, very difficult. I'm at peace now, I can focus on my new job and I'm looking forward to starting tomorrow.
"I know it will be difficult to reproduce what I have here elsewhere, but there are other places with different exposure and pressure ... It's been a fantastic adventure I apologise for this mid-season decision, but I felt it was my time and my way.
“I know how I am going to play in the beginning because you have to start with a structure that you know. We don’t have a lot of time to train, so I have to show something that I know very well.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
£46 (was £56)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.