Rob Dawson, Correspondent
MANCHESTER, England — Rúben Amorim believes he is the right man at the right time to re-establish Manchester United as the dominant force in English football.
Amorim is the sixth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 to take the job following on from David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.
He is attempting to become the first since Ferguson to win the Premier League title after a wait of more than a decade. While he admits the task in front of him is a “big challenge,” the 39-year-old has said he is up to it.
“Call me naïve but I believe I am the right guy in the right moment,” Amorim told his first United news conference on Friday.
“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.”
Amorim is preparing for his first game at Ipswich Town on Sunday after taking charge of his first week of training with his new club.
He revealed he received message of congratulations from his compatriot Mourinho, who he spent a week’s internship with at Carrington in 2018, but the former Sporting CP coach was keen to distance himself from suggestions he is the second “Special One.”
“He sent me a message,” Amorim said. “He said welcome to the club, that it’s a big club and in that he is correct.
“But a lot of things change, we are in a different building now. I am a different guy and I hope to teach something to my players. The club is still big, it is still the best in England and we want to win.”
Amorim is set to implement his favoured 3-4-3 formation at Portman Road, despite having limited time on the training pitch since his arrival in Manchester.
He is inheriting a team languishing in 13th in the Premier League table, but he said there are a couple of key areas where he will demand immediate change.
“It is a different way of playing and we are changing in the middle of the season,” Amorim said.
“I think we lose the ball too often, we have to be better at running back, I think that is clear to everyone and I think we have to be better on the details. We have to improve on the small things. In the small things, I think I can help a lot.”