- Fans left a meeting with Dave Brailsford claiming he had confirmed the appointment
- He spoke a three-word message, but did it refer to Reuben Amorim?
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Management appointments in the modern era are typically confirmed in the controlled environment of a club’s website and social media profiles.
But some Manchester United fans are convinced that chief executive Sir Dave Brailsford personally announced Ruben Amorim’s arrival to them outside Old Trafford on Wednesday evening.
The Ineos sporting director watched as United defeated Leicester City 5-2 in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup under the interim tutelage of Ruud van Nistelrooy.
That win comes as United comes close to signing Sporting Lisbon boss Amorim, 39, on a two-and-a-half-year contract to replace Erik ten Hag.
But some believe things have been finalized after a video circulated outside Old Trafford ahead of the match of Brailsford telling fans: ‘Yes, it’s done’. The only question is what that three-word statement referred to.
Sir Dave Brailsford stopped for photos with fans at Old Trafford and said: ‘Yes, it’s done’
They behaved as if he was referring to the appointment of Reuben Amorim, but it was unclear
Brailsford stopped to take photos with two fans and said ‘yeah, it’s done’, before she and the cameraman started telling other fans ‘the deal is done’.
However, it may be that Brailsford was simply referring to the fact that the photos were taken, or to something else entirely. It’s unclear what he was even asked and it’s worth taking a dose of skepticism with him.
Nevertheless, the fans he met were convinced he was talking about the Amorim deal – or at least behaved that way.
The Portuguese is set to succeed Ten Hag on a contract worth £6.5 million per season. In addition to his two-and-a-half-year term of office, there is the possibility of an extension of twelve months.
However, Amorim can only join United at the start of the international break on November 10, which means that agent Van Nistelrooy will temporarily remain in charge for three more games against Chelsea, PAOK Salonika and Leicester.
United are expected to pay £9.2 million for him.
Amorim becomes United’s sixth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. He is expected to bring his own backroom team of assistants Carlos Fernandes, Adelio Candido and Emanuel Ferro, as well as goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital and sports scientist Paulo Barreira.
Van Nistelrooy’s role in the new set-up remains unclear, but the Dutchman emphasized after the match that he wants to stay after returning to Old Trafford as Ten Hag’s number 2 in the summer.
United are on the verge of sealing Amorim’s appointment on a two-and-a-half-year contract
‘I came here as an assistant to help the club. Now I help in this role for as long as necessary,” says Van Nistelrooy. ‘In the future, in whatever capacity, I am here to help the club continue to build for the future, that is what I am here for.
‘I’m here to help and serve and give everything for the club in whatever capacity I can, with so many people here around me who want the best for the club and that will never change.’
Van Nistelrooy did not hold a post-match press conference and will instead address the media on Thursday in his first media briefing since stepping in as Ten Hag’s replacement.