Manchester United fans won’t believe their luck after 3 things Amorim did during ‘West Ham apology’

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So it seems like one-time West Ham United target Ruben Amorim is all set to take over as the new Manchester United manager.

Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag on Monday, coincidentally after they lost to West Ham, and Ruben Amorim is said to be closing in on the Old Trafford vacancy.

It was only six months ago when Amorim met with the Hammers hierarchy about potentially replacing David Moyes at the London Stadium.

We all know how that ended, and David Sullivan eventually appointed Julen Lopetegui as Moyes’s successor.

I think it’s fair to say that the majority of Hammers fans would have preferred Amorim to Lopetegui, but there’s nothing we can do about that now.

With the Sporting chief set to be appointed as the new Manchester United manager imminently (The Guardian), there will be plenty of jealous West Ham fans out there – myself included.

And I noticed a few things that Amorim said during his ‘West Ham apology presser’ that should get the Man United fans really excited…

Manchester United fans should be buzzing about Ruben Amorim

So as the 39-year-old closes in on the Man United job, the Hammers fans are left wondering what might have been.

We wanted a completely different style of football when Moyes left, and Amorim would have brought that to the London Stadium in spades.

However, it wasn’t meant to be in the end.

He took it upon himself to apologise to the Sporting fans for meeting with West Ham officials midway through a title race

Amorim held a press conference back in April, after his doomed meeting with the Hammers about taking over from David Moyes, as quoted by Sky Sports.

“So, let’s get the elephant out of the room and I’ll talk about it once. The first thing is to say that the club was aware of my trip. It’s important and changes the context,” Amorim said.

“Then, let’s talk about the ‘cloak of secrecy’ that surrounded the trip… I ‘secretly parked the car outside’, ‘secretly walked past 15 people, and took photographs’, and ‘got on a plane that was all done behind the club’s back’. It didn’t happen in secret or without permission.“

He continued, “Obviously my trip was a mistake, the timing was completely wrong, it didn’t seem right at the time. It was wrong, especially when I’m so demanding with my players and always the first to say that each one’s actions can overpower the team. I have already removed players from the squad for much less.“

“It was my mistake, I have to accept it and live with it.“

“It didn’t seem so bad at the time, but thinking about it later it’s very clear. I gave explanations to the players and the staff. Now it’s time to move on. Obviously, I also use the public part here to apologise to the Sporting fans, the staff and, mainly publicly to my players for the mistake I made.“

“It was a mistake because the fact that we are close to winning the championship, nothing has been done yet, and the team leader causes this noise, is a mistake. Whether or not he is authorised. And I’m the biggest defender of that. That’s why I said it is an error.“

Future’s bright for Manchester United with Ruben Amorim

Amorim displayed three key qualities here that will really excite the Man United fans.

Firstly, the 39-year-old oozed authority during his first message to the press when setting the record straight, and he completely controlled the narrative.

For a young manager that is unusual, and anyone who manages Manchester United needs that authoritative presence in abundance.

Then, the Portuguese coach displayed genuine accountability, in spite of explaining why the meetings with the Hammers were not ‘held in secret’.

He didn’t try to justify what he did, and admitted whole heartedly that his actions were wrong, or more so the timing of them.

That willingness to take full responsibility will be a refreshing change for the Man United fans after putting up with Erik ten Hag’s steadfast refusal to do exactly that over the past two-and-a-half years.

Thirdly, Amorim displayed real leadership and ambition here, as strange as that might sound. Yes he met with the West Ham owners, but he also didn’t like the vision or the project for the future at the London Stadium.

The Sporting coach is a winner, pure and simple. He made a big mistake by meeting the Hammers during a title race, but he completely owned that error.

If I were a Manchester United fan, I would be incredibly excited about the prospect of Ruben Amorim taking over at Old Trafford right now.

The 39-year-old is an elite young manager, and he clearly knows how to control the narrative with the press as well – something that will be crucial for him if he does take over as the new Man United manager.

If only we West Ham had pushed harder to appoint him six months ago, what might have been…