Ruben Amorim has been backed to "change the energy" at Manchester United by club captain Bruno Fernandes.
Amorim officially took the reins as United head coach on Monday, with Ruud van Nistelrooy having served as interim boss after Erik ten Hag was sacked last month.
The 39-year-old enjoyed a wildly successful four-year spell in charge of Sporting CP, which began in March 2020, two months after the Lisbon giants sold Fernandes to United.
Amorim delivered two Primeira Liga and two Taca da Liga trophies during his time at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, recording a 71% win rate through 231 matches at the helm (164 wins, 34 draws, 33 losses).
In the Primeira Liga, they won 77% of their games under him (120/156), the best win ratio of any team across Europe's top 10 leagues since he took charge.
Amorim's first game in charge of United will be a Premier League trip to Ipswich Town on November 24, and Fernandes has faith that he can change their fortunes.
"I hope he does the same here because you know sometimes a person can change the energy of a space, if it's the right moment," Fernandes told United's media channels.
"We hope this is the right moment for him to come and bring his energy, bring his qualities and his knowledge of football, because he's done something really, really special at Sporting.
"If someone doubts that, it's about just looking at the past. Sporting was to be about 20 years without winning the league, and he got back to win the league, and he won it two times in four years with a really youthful team, in a moment of change.
"So hopefully he can do the same here for us and [hopefully] it's going to be a successful time for all of us."
Amorim will become the youngest coach to lead United since a 33-year-old Wilf McGuinness took charge of them on Boxing Day 1970 against Derby County, and Fernandes believes one of his main strengths is his man-management style.
"Obviously for me, what stands out as I said to you is the connection he has with the players," Fernandes added.
"I've seen many, many moments where players were struggling and he kept his faith in them. He always goes to the press conference and defends his players.
"He had a really youthful team so they needed that and hopefully when he comes here he can do the same again with the youth.
"Us players with the most experience, we have to help him to get that and get the best out of every player at this club."
Defending champions All Saints United beat Garden Stars 3-1 in early top of the table clash in ABFA Premier League
Saturday’s triple header in the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) Premier League provided fans with an entertaining day of football with a total of 13 goals produced in the three games at the ABFA Technical Center.
The evening’s featured game saw defending champions All Saints United FC have to come from behind to hand Garden Stars their first defeat of the season with a 3-1 victory.
National striker Raheem Deterville gave All Saints an early lead in the 8th minute before Karique Knight equalised for Garden Stars eight minutes later.
Vashami Allen restored United’s lead in the 21st minute before Deterville secured his brace and the victory with a goal five minutes from full time.
With the win, All Saints United moved to the top of the table with 16 points from six games, the same amount of points as Aston Villa and Garden Stars who trail on goal difference by one and nine, respectively.
Green City FC emerged victorious in a five-goal thriller against Greenbay Hoppers FC, winning 3-2.
Kamali Looby gave Hoppers the lead in the 33rd minute before Carllon Warner equalised for Green City just before halftime.
However, six minutes into the second half, Kadeem Campbell restored Hoppers’ lead.
Green City did not fold, however, equalizing through Amali Colbourne in the 61st minuteto put the game back into a deadlock.
The Green City persistence paid off in the end as Elijah Whyte converted a 68th minute penalty to secure the three points.
The third matchup saw Pigotts Bullets SC pepper John Hughes FC, securing a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
An unfortunate own goal from Jamoy Stevens (33′) opened the scoring, followed by Akeem Isaac’s penalty three minutes later.
Goals from Xavier Smith (42′) and Tyrique Thwaites (45+2′ penalty) completed the rout before halftime as the victors continued their impressive season.
Arteta already sees Amorim influence on Man Utd
Mikel Arteta feels Ruben Amorim's influence is already visible in Manchester United's play, ahead of Arsenal facing the Red Devils in a huge matchup on Wednesday.
United have one win and one draw from two Premier League matches under the former Sporting CP coach, drawing 1-1 at Ipswich Town before crushing Everton 4-0.
On Wednesday, the United boss will face his toughest test yet as United visit the Emirates Stadium, where they have lost on seven of their last nine Premier League visits (one win, one draw), losing on their last three.
Last Sunday's comprehensive victory over Everton was the biggest ever managed by a permanent United boss in their first home league match at the helm.
They registered 59.9% possession, 630 total passes and three big chances in that match, with all of those figures bettering their per-game averages under former boss Erik ten Hag this term (52.2% possession, 494 passes and 2.9 big chances).
Arteta has been impressed by the swift nature of Amorim's impact, saying at Tuesday's pre-match press conference: "You can see his fingerprints already in how he wants to play.
"You know what he wants to do straight away, I think he's been very clear. He's been very successful with Sporting.
"It's remarkable after so many years what he achieved there, especially in the way he did it and the way his teams have been playing.
"He brings energy to the club, to the players, new ideas and that's always something that's positive.
"We focus on ourselves. We're on a good run and have good momentum. It will be a big and beautiful match against United."
Arsenal are currently trailing pacesetters Liverpool by nine points at the Premier League summit, with United six points further back in ninth place.
However, Arteta still thinks plenty of teams could catch Arne Slot's Reds – including United.
"We're still very early in the season. Any team that has the capacity to put wins in a row has a chance," the Spaniard said. "I think anything is possible."
Arsenal thrashed West Ham 5-2 last time out, with Bukayo Saka scoring a penalty and laying on two assists.
Saka has now provided 10 assists in Arsenal’s 13 Premier League games this season – only Harry Kane (11 in 2020-21), Cesc Fabregas (12 in 2014-15) and Mesut Ozil (12 in 2015-16) have reached double figures fewer games into a team's Premier League campaign.
Arteta feels the England international has made a visible step up this season, saying: "In terms of the numbers, yes.
"We see a shift from Bukayo every single year. He's more and more consistent. He can only improve and only get better. He wants more."
Hubert Busby aims to build on positives after Reggae Girlz two-match triumph over South Africa
Jamaica’s Head coach, Hubert Busby, took heart from a successful two-match friendly series against South Africa, as he intends to use the victories as a foundation to sharpen his Reggae Girlz ahead of critical future competitions.
The Reggae Girlz, who dominated the first match with a 3-0 win last Friday, followed up with a hard-fought 3-2 victory in the second match on Monday at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall.
Goals from Vyan Sampson (58th), Drew Spence (63rd), and substitute Kayla McKenna (76th) overturned Linda Motlhalo’s 19th-minute opener and rendered Amogeland Motau’s added-time strike inconsequential.
For Busby, the series wasn’t just about securing wins but about testing the squad in challenging scenarios.
This, as he pointed out that the quick turnaround between matches posed a physical challenge for both teams, but in the same breath, stressed the importance of resilience and adaptability, particularly after a lackluster first half in the second game.
“Yeah, I mean, look, the quick turnaround for both teams was always going to be a little bit tedious. You could see that a little bit in the first half—us trying to find our legs a bit. Credit to the medical and high-performance staff for getting the players ready,” Busby said post-match.
“These games are why we play them. We're going to be put in stressful situations; I wouldn't like it to be as stressful in the 90th minute, but that's football, you know, and credit to the team for how they responded and were worthy winners in the end,” he added.
Busby credited late adjustments for the team’s second-half resurgence after a lukewarm first half. They struggled to find rhythm and squandered a few half chances against a more confident-looking South African outfit that moved the ball well on this occasion.
“We recognized how they were building their play, so we spoke about it at halftime and showed the players what we wanted to do in terms of pressing higher. They responded really well, and those adjustments and then the impetus of players to carry out those instructions is really why we were able to turn around the game in the second half,” he explained.
Despite the team’s offensive prowess, Busby admitted disappointment at failing to maintain a clean sheet.
“Keeping a clean sheet is about the whole team and shows a good defensive performance. Overall, I still think we played well, but football is about moments. We have to manage those moments better because quality opposition at this level will punish you if we don’t. So it’s another chance for us to learn, grow, and take it into the next window,” he said.
The tactician also addressed the absence of veteran Tiffany Cameron, explaining that the decision allowed younger players to gain valuable experience as they aim to balance development and performance.
“Everybody here is ready. This camp was about evaluating players and seeing how they handle stressful situations. Tiffany is a veteran, so we know what she brings. But it’s also about embedding younger players into the group because it is us building a programme so that we can go to this 2027 World Cup and consecutive World Cups thereafter,” he stated.
With the February international window next in their line of sight, Busby is already planning for tougher tests to further prepare the team for the World Cup qualifiers.
“Plans are already in place to get an opposition. We’ve had conversations with different federations, and we’ll confirm that in the next four to five weeks. Another quality opposition that is going to test us in a stressful environment will make us better for World Cup qualifiers,” he ended.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old goalkeeper Liya Brooks, who earned her first two caps during the series, welcomed the opportunity.
“For me, it was kind of like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I knew the team had my back, and that made it easier. I'll say that I feel like my communication with my team is quite solid, and I feel like that's probably the most important thing.
“Moving forward, it’s about getting comfortable and learning my teammates individually. Also to make sure that I'm locked in and focused for every ball played back, and just making sure that I take time to breathe and live in the moment and also ensure that I'm confident in what I'm doing,” Brooks shared.
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