Ruben Amorim made his feelings very clear after Man Utd boss was sacked

Ever since taking over from Erik ten Hag as Manchester United boss, Ruben Amorim has consistently spoken about the Dutchman with genuine admiration. This became evident just weeks after his arrival at Old Trafford when he demonstrated real dignity by publicly hailing his predecessor as "one of the best."

At that point, United were languishing in the lower reaches of the Premier League table, a predicament they would endure for the rest of the campaign. During a press conference in November last year, Amorim was questioned whether managing United represented an "impossible" task. The Portuguese tactician rejected that suggestion, though he conceded it ranked among the most challenging roles in football, observing how numerous gifted and seasoned managers before him had tried and failed to return the club to its previous heights.

"You have here different types of coaches: the guys that won everything like [Louis] van Gaal and [Jose] Mourinho, the new ones that knew the club inside out like [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer, then one of the best outside the top five leagues, Ten Hag," said Amorim last year. "We have to improve as a club and acknowledge we have to win games. You have different coaches, the same results. We will try to do the Ineos way, my way."

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Tuesday marks precisely 12 months since Ten Hag was sacked by United. In a little more than two seasons at the helm, the ex-Ajax chief brought an end to the club's lengthy trophy drought by securing both the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Nevertheless, his tenure was ultimately characterised by unpredictability. Ten Hag's reign at United was marred by inconsistency, with brief moments of brilliance overshadowed by extended periods of poor form.

Despite a surprise FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in 2024, the Dutchman was eventually sacked following a dismal start to the 2024/25 season. His successor, Amorim, has struggled to halt the decline and saw the Red Devils slump to a historic low, finishing 15th in the Premier League last season.

The pain was compounded by a loss to Tottenham in the Europa League final, denying them a vital route back to the Champions League. Like Ten Hag before him, Amorim started the new campaign under immense scrutiny.

However, recent weeks have seen a glimmer of hope, with United stringing together three consecutive wins against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton. A fourth win on the trot against Nottingham Forest would be their best run in nearly two years.

Whether this is a fleeting upturn or a sign of a genuine revival under Amorim remains to be seen. The 40-year-old can ill-afford any return to the previous woblles in form.

As Ten Hag's tenure demonstrated, sustained periods of poor performance are not tolerated at Old Trafford. This makes the coming weeks pivotal for Amorim as he seeks to maintain momentum and prove he is the man to restore United to its former glory.

Indeed, he is confident in his abilities and told the press on November 2024: "I truly believe I'm the right guy for this job. I really don't know the biggest challenge [here] - I will find out during the next months.

"I'm a little bit of a dreamer, and I believe in myself, I also believe in the club. We have the same idea, the same mindset, so that can help, but I truly believe in the players also. I know you guys don't believe a lot in these players.

"But I believe a lot. We have room to improve, I want to try new things. You guys think it's not possible; I think it's possible. We will see in the end."