Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim showed a side of him similar to Jose Mourinho (Image: Getty/Express Sport)
At his unveiling, tried to distance himself from being labelled the next . But the tactician’s angry outburst indicated that the managerial pair are more alike than first thought.
in the United dressing room after their 3-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday, leaving them with six home defeats this season and 13th in the table.
The Portuguese was left furious with their lacklustre performance and gave his underperforming stars the hairdryer treatment, before lashing out at the TV in the dressing room.
That incident suggested that the ex-Sporting boss is already finding the challenge more daunting than he perhaps anticipated when he arrived in England, despite the fact his reign started only 10 weeks ago.
Amorim revealed in his first press conference that Mourinho had reached out with a text message to give him a preview of what life is like at Old Trafford, telling him it was a “lovely club”. But nothing the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ said could have prepared him for this.
Amorim explained that because Mourinho took over at in 2004 shortly after winning the Champions League with Porto, they were not comparable.
“I am different from [Jose] Mourinho, I am a different person. But I do remember that time. In that time, you looked at Mourinho and you felt he can win everywhere,” Amorim added.
“It is not the same thing; he was a European champion and I am not a European champion. But I am different guy in a different moment.
Ruben Amorim was furious with Man Utd’s performance against Brighton (Image: Getty)
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“Football nowadays is different and I think I am the right person for this moment, because I am a young guy and I understand the players, so I try to use that to help my players like Mourinho did in that era and what he did at .”
Yet Mourinho’s demeanour would’ve likely been the same even if he hadn’t won the trophy – he knew he was special and wanted everyone else to know it.
He set the tone by demanding the very best from his players, knowing they had the winners’ mentality to take criticism on board and strive to improve. He used fear and intimidation as a motivational tactic. But Amorim doesn’t have that luxury; his squad look fragile, resigned and unable to compete.
There is evidence to suggest he has sampled some methods from the Mourinho playbook. Indeed, the manner in which Amorim has cast aside Marcus Rashford and benched Alejandro Garnacho is akin to how the three-time title winner would show his players who is boss.
Man Utd in training ahead of their Europa League clash with Rangers (Image: Getty)
Mourinho played his part in his infamous fallout with Paul Pogba in front of the press during training. He also criticised Luke Shaw’s weight in front of reporters and questioned the left-back’s injury record.
In ostracising Rashford – a key figure in Manchester to the fans and his team-mates – Amorim has gone down a similar road. The only issue for him is that, aside from Amad Diallo, there are no players outperforming expectations to justify his banishment of Rashford.
But his latest display of rage might just shake some life into his players, starting with a response at Old Trafford against Rangers.
A spirited performance, backed by the fans, would suggest that Amorim’s fear factor could be the driving force United use to rediscover their form on the pitch.