- Amorim was appointed United manager on Friday and took charge later this month
- He has been given the job title of head coach instead of manager, which marks a change
- LISTEN NOW: It all starts!available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Manchester United’s decision to appoint Ruben Amorim as head coach marks a clear change of direction under new co-owner Ineos.
All five of the established players at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 have retained the job title of manager: David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.
Changes to Ten Hag’s job description and transfer veto were discussed at a summit at his holiday base in Ibiza in June, before the Dutchman went ahead with an extension to his existing contract.
But following Ten Hag’s dismissal on Monday, Amorim has been confirmed as his successor with the title of head coach. A club statement read: ‘Manchester United are pleased to announce the appointment of Rúben Amorim as Head Coach of the men’s first team, subject to work visa requirements.’
It is part of Ineos’ plans to create a more centralized system where the coach is a more interchangeable cog in the wheel, which has been put together in recent months following the arrival of CEO Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
Ruben Amorim has been appointed head coach of Manchester United and not manager
The title marks a change that United’s co-owners, Ineos, have made since taking control of the business
Amorim is the first boss since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson to hold the title of head coach rather than manager
Wilcox in particular has been responsible for implementing a ‘playing model’ across the club to ensure that all United teams – from the first team through to the academy – pursue a particular style of play.
In this way, every change of manager does not mean a fundamental change in the way the squad is constructed or how the team plays.
It remains to be seen how much influence Amorim will have on transfers and whether he will retain the veto that has allowed all managers since Ferguson to reject a new signing if they do not want the player.
The Portuguese coach will inherit a United squad heavily influenced by players who played under Ten Hag at Ajax or have a background in Dutch football.