Ruben Amorim exclusive: Manchester United boss targets return to Europe – but says squad lacks ‘crazy guys’ in Premier League campaign

Former Manchester United and England player Owen Hargreaves returned to the club for TNT Sports as he sat down with the 40-year-old Portuguese coach.

Amorim was typically honest as he assessed the club’s recent struggles, but urged strong and positive leadership from within his squad to move things forward.

“It’s a completely different reality. I learned a lot last year.”

That honesty sets the standard for a man who has never shied away from adversity.

Highly regarded for his tactical acumen at Sporting, Amorim arrived at Old Trafford with high expectations and even greater problems. United’s transitional 2024/25 season exposed frailties throughout the pitch, but there are flashes of evolution – less tactical but more mental and cultural.

Changes in personnel tend to have that effect, but perhaps it is Amorim’s system that has drawn the most interest during his 10 months at the helm.

His much-discussed back three has drawn comparisons to set-ups deployed by Europe’s elite. Hargreaves, who won the 2001 UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich playing in a similar formation, was curious where Amorim drew his inspiration.

“I started with a 4-4-2,” the Portuguese explained, reflecting on his early years in management. “I changed because usually all the teams build up with three and push the full-backs up, but we struggled a lot with a back four to cover all the space.

“I started thinking about what we could do – that’s the fun part for me, and I start doing this system. The fun part is trying to adapt the way you see football to every system of the opponent.”

But football isn’t only about numbers – it is as much about personality. Asked whether United need more leadership in tough moments, Amorim offered a candid take.

“We need leaders,” he said. “But sometimes, we miss some crazy guys. I think (Matheus) Cunha is a little bit like that. I think sometimes you need that crazy guy.

“It doesn’t matter that the world can be on fire, but ‘I don’t care’.”

With European qualification firmly in his sights, Amorim knows there is little room for error.

“We need to return to Europe,” he said plainly, with United not participating in European competition for the first time since the 2014/15 season.

“We’re going to play better – that’s my feeling. If you see the games, you can feel that we can win the games.”