“During our training sessions, I was stunned by how unmotivated most of the senior players were but the younger players are the ones putting in more effort. This means that you might see more of younger players soonest” – Rúben Amorim has reportedly been left “stunned” by what he has observed during Manchester United training sessions, as the harsh realities of his new role begin to surface. The Portuguese manager is said to have encountered unexpected challenges, highlighting the urgent need for improvement.

A recent report claims new Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim has been left “shocked” by what he has observed in his first week of training. The Portuguese coach, known for his success at Sporting CP, reportedly underestimated the scale of the challenge at Old Trafford.

Amorim, who led Sporting to two Primeira Liga titles in four years, arrived with a reputation for transforming struggling teams. However, upon assessing the United squad, he was allegedly surprised by the lack of speed and intensity during training sessions, highlighting the enormity of the task ahead. According to The Sun, Amorim repeatedly urged players to increase their pace throughout the week, a sign of his dissatisfaction with the current standards.

Former player and pundit Jamie Carragher has pointed out a key issue Amorim may face—fitting his preferred 3-4-3 formation into a squad that lacks natural wing-backs. Carragher argued that, despite United’s abundance of center-backs, the absence of suitable players for specialized roles like wing-backs could hinder the team’s adaptation to Amorim’s system.

Additionally, United have been linked with moves to address these weaknesses, targeting players such as Alphonso Davies and Pedro Porro. Both players could fill the wing-back roles crucial to Amorim’s strategy. While signing Davies would be ideal, reports suggest United are prepared to explore alternatives, including Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez. These potential signings underscore Amorim’s intent to overhaul the squad to better align with his vision.

Amorim’s first few weeks at the club are shaping up to be a critical period of adjustment as he grapples with the squad’s current limitations and works toward implementing his tactical philosophy. Whether he can overcome these challenges and steer Manchester United back to the top remains to be seen.