Amorim is 'Cristiano Ronaldo of managers'

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 6 Nov 2024 11:18 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United's incoming head coach Ruben Amorim has been hailed as the "Cristiano Ronaldo of managers" after Sporting CP thrashed Manchester City 4-1.

The Portuguese outfit went into the contest as underdogs but came away beating the reigning Premier League champions in the Champions League, with their departing manager very much endearing himself to United supporters already.

It was Amorim's final home match as Sporting boss before he heads to Old Trafford to begin work there.

Attacker Phil Foden opened the scoring but Sporting CP did not down tools, instead hitting back with four of their own on the night thanks to a hat-trick from Viktor Gyokeres and Maximiliano Araujo.

On TNTSports duty was James Horncastle, who spoke about the game itself and also what Amorim's appointment means for United.

“Go back to United’s history… who did they find at Sporting? They found Cristiano didn’t they. Have they found the Cristiano of managers?” he said on TNT Sports.

“That’s what they’ll all be hoping. On the basis of a performance like that, I think United fans have got every reason to be excited.

"Have they found the Cristiano Ronaldo of managers, that's what they will be hoping!" 👀🤞@JamesHorncastle believes Man Utd fans have got every reason to be excited by Ruben Amorim's arrival from Sporting Lisbon 🔴#GoalsShowXtra pic.twitter.com/nIlJmhcKAX

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 5, 2024

Amorim will take time

But Horncastle admitted that even if Amorim is the right man for the job, the process will take time to do.

“In the same way that people were excited about Ten Hag when Ajax went to the Bernabeu and won, went to Juventus and won. It’s very different for a manager when they go into Carrington and see what they’ve got,” he added. “That guy’s been working with this group of [Sporting] players for four years, knows them inside out.

“The club does everything that he wants. He thought he was going to get a call from Hugo Viana to be the next Man City coach. Hugo Viana knows Ruben Amorim inside out. That all helps him perform as a manager.

“United, he’s going in without pre-season, without a transfer window, inheriting a team that’s like Ajax reunited from four years ago.