Ruben Amorim has appointed specialist coaches for each key department of his Manchester United team to get the season off to a flying start.
The Portuguese coach, 39, has assigned members of his staff to work with defenders, midfielders and forwards in one of the key changes from Erik ten Hag’s work on the training pitches at the club’s headquarters in Carrington.
Amorim’s approach is seen as a modern way of coaching, compared to the traditional method of a first-team coach overseeing entire sessions with the entire squad as they prepare for matches.
Arriving during the international break, Amorim brought Carlos Fernandes, Jorge Vital, Adelio Candido, Emanuel Ferro and Paulo Barreira into his backroom staff, complementing first-team coaches Darren Fletcher and Andreas Georgson and first-team assistant goalkeeping coach team Craig Mawson .
Fernandes’ title is assistant head coach, with the 29-year-old close to Amorim having worked with him at Braga and Casa Pia. Vital is the goalkeeper coach, while Candido and Ferro are first team coaches. It is clear that the coaches will focus on specific departments.
Barreira, meanwhile, is the physical performance coach for the United side, who have started the Amorim era with a draw against Ipswich and Thursday night’s 3-2 Europa League win against Bodo/Glimt.
“The first thing is that half of the stadium doesn’t really know me,” Amorim said after the win. “I’m from Portugal, I haven’t done anything for this club yet. So the way they make me feel at home is so special. You know, it’s not about something, it’s about something.
“This is something special. And I will continue this until the end of my career. It’s a special moment in my career, I hope it will be one of many matches here. It’s a great crowd, great supporters. They are hungry for wins, that’s what we want to give them. One more win in Europe, improve the team and show what we are working on.”
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