A new dawn is on the horizon at Manchester United. After what feels like an age, Ruben Amorim will finally take to the dugout as the new Red Devils boss for the very first time on Sunday evening.
The Portuguese coach was confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor at Old Trafford back at the start of November but was not able to start his new job for two weeks as he served a notice period at former club Sporting CP.
The 39-year-old arrives in Manchester with a reputation to uphold. He is widely regarded as one of coaching’s hottest prospects and he finally got to work with United’s stars at Carrington training ground earlier this week.
Amorim’s long-awaited first test takes place at Portman Road as they face Ipswich Town, who have only picked up a solitary win this campaign – against Tottenham before the international break.
While it may not be a trial by fire for Amorim, he is set for a difficult start at a United side that currently sit 13th in the Premier League.
United face three of the top five sides in the top flight in their first five matches under the stewardship of the Portuguese boss.
Ruven Amorim was confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor at Man United on November 1
Amorim’s long-awaited first test takes place at Portman Road as they face Ipswich on Sunday
Opta graded the toughness of United’s first five fixtures under Amorim and made this table
The stats boffins at Opta have done what they do best and compiled a fixture difficulty table, comparing how tricky Amorim’s opening games are compared to the rest of the division.
Following their trip to Suffolk, United’s first match at Old Trafford under new leadership will take a place against Everton, who they have not lost to at home since 2013, back when David Moyes was at the helm.
This is when it starts to get a bit more demanding. Only three games into his reign, Amorim will take his side to the Emirates to face Arsenal.
A trip to the Gunners is daunting at the best of times, they have only lost once in their own backyard in the league this calendar year.
Of course, Arsenal aren’t exactly in form at this moment in time – they are winless in their last four matches – but they have not tasted defeat at the hands of United in north London since 2017.
After that, Nottingham Forest come to town. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are four points clear of United at the time of writing and sit just outside the top four. While the match is at Old Trafford, it will not be plain sailing for Amorim and his team.
But it will seem like a piece of cake compared to who they have to take on just one week later, on December 15.
With the Christmas calendar intensifying at that point, Amorim will take United across the city to the Etihad for his first Manchester Derby.
Amorim was all smiles in his first training session as he prepares for a baptism of fire in the Premier League
United face Arsenal at the Emirates, where they lost last season (pictured), in the 39-year-old’s third game in charge
Amorim will lead United into a Manchester Derby for the first time in the middle of December
Matches don’t get much tougher than that for a Red Devils boss. Ten Hag failed to pick up a point in his two visits to the blue side of Manchester.
And while Amorim’s penultimate game in charge of Sporting was a 4-1 thumping of Pep Guardiola’s champions, derby day is a different ball game.
Overall, Opta have given the Portuguese’s first five matches a difficulty rating of 90.9 out of 100. Only six sides are perceived to have a trickier set of matches in that period.
United’s rivals City are one of those teams. They have a rating of 91.3 due to meetings with Tottenham and Liverpool at the start of that run.
Southampton, who prop up the division, top the list as they too face Arne Slot’s league leaders. Following that, they face Brighton, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Spurs. A brutal run of games.
It’s fair to say, Amorim has a slightly toilsome start at United. However, it is not going to get much easier following his first five matches.
With Red Devils fans desperate for the end of 2024 after what they have had to endure, they won’t be best pleased to see that Liverpool lie in waiting just one week into the new year.
Amorim’s first taste of Anfield as a coach comes within his first 10 matches and means he will have faced last season’s top three all away from home inside his first two months in charge.
