Former Portugal defender Jose Fonte has given a glowing assessment of Ruben Amorim after playing against his Sporting Lisbon side.
In an exclusive interview with talkSPORT, Fonte backed Manchester United for big things following the hire of his fellow countryman, Amorim.
Fans of the Red Devils eagerly await his first game as head coach against Ipswich Town on Sunday – but Fonte, who spent last season at Portuguese club Braga, did his best to calm their nerves.
Speaking of the 39-year-old manager, Fonte claimed: “Most of all, he brings a philosophy, he brings an idea, he brings a style of play.
“He has this aura, personality, character, positivity which the players for sure will appreciate in the first few days.”
Fans rushed to decipher clips of Amorim’s first training session at Carrington on Monday, which featured his famous three-at-the-back formation.
The Portuguese manager has a huge task on his hands to unite the club – a job made harder by injuries, meaning he will likely field a makeshift backline at Portman road.
While many of United’s first-choice stars are away on international duty, there were some hints about where players could line-up under Amorim’s new regime.
Jonny Evans was positioned at the centre of defence with Leny Yoro to his right and Luke Shaw to his left, with Antony right wing-back, and Tyrell Malacia on the other side.
Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount occupied deeper spaces while Amad Diallo and Marcus Rashford were up ahead.
Fonte did warn that Amorim ‘will need a little bit of time’ to instil his style of football but he countered that with huge admiration.
“When we faced Sporting [Lisbon] I always felt that they could hurt you in many different ways,” he said.
“They could threaten in behind, they could easily play between the lines, they can build up, they can play wide.”
That was on full display when Sporting beat Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League earlier this month thanks to a Viktor Gyokeres hat-trick.
Referring back to that night, Fonte said: “It was a fantastic game if you’re on the outside and you really love football, and you understand the tactical side of football and what people do to counter-press and to play out, how to break a team down, how to press high, how to press in the middle block.
“Sporting Lisbon had a fantastic game, that is obvious. Man City perhaps weren’t at their best with all the players they were missing, but it is undeniable that this team of Ruben Amorim with his ideas and philosophies of how he wants to approach and how he wants to play this game is fantastic to watch.”
Amorim will have to lean on Bruno Fernandes and Rashford, who have come under fire from fans recently, but there is no doubt the duo are capable of performing at a world class level.
In his first Premier League season, Fernandes scored 18 times and assisted 11 goals. Rashford netted 17 in the league for the 2022/23 campaign.
Fonte declared Amorim is an ‘expert’ in bringing out a player’s best thanks to his ‘very good’ man management.
“From the conversations I’ve had with my brother that played under him, with other players that played under him, they all like him,” he said.
“Honest, direct, what else can you ask?”
