New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is convinced he’s the right person to take the club forward but says he must be given time to succeed in the role.
Amorim arrived at Old Trafford on Monday after a hugely successful stint as Sporting CP boss, taking over from interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy who oversaw three wins and one draw in his short tenure.
The Portuguese’s first meeting with the media, staged ahead of Sunday’s trip to Premier League new boys Ipswich Town, was held in a packed out room at Carrington’s training ground, with journalists from around the world eager to hear his aspirations for the club.
And it didn’t take long for Amorim to admit he’s confident in his ability to turn things around at United, who sit 13th in the Premier League having won just four of the 11 games they’ve played so far this season.
“Call me naive, but I believe I am the right guy at the right time,” Amorim said.
“I truly believe I am the right guy. I am a little bit of a dreamer and I believe in myself and I believe in the club. I think we have the same idea, the same mindset and that can help. I truly believe in the players, also. I think we have room to improve and I want to try new things.
“You guys think it is not possible, I think it’s possible. We have space to grow as a team. I think we have to improve in a lot of areas, the understanding of the game, it’s a different way of playing and we are changing in the middle of the season.
“I think we have to improve the physical aspect of the team. I don’t know how long it will take, but I know if you are at Manchester United you have to win games, so I will not tell you I need a lot of time. It’s a great league, the strongest in the world, and we have to improve a lot. We have to win games and then to win titles.”
Amorim signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at United that runs until 2027 and suggested he’ll need at least that long to turn United back into the competitive, title-challenging machine they used to be during the glory days of Sir Alex Ferguson’s management.
“I think in two years you can understand if I’m the right manager to go in this process,” he said. “We will need more time. If you look at the clubs who are winning this league, they have been doing this process for a long time.
“I understand we will need more than two and a half years and that we have to win something, somewhere, but in two years you can understand if you want to continue this part or change.”
