Everything is naturally magnified at a football club the size of Manchester United.
The abundance of rumour and chatter that followed Erik ten Hag’s departure makes it feel like far more than five days since he was relieved of his managerial duties.
When it became increasingly clear that Ruben Amorim had been identified as his successor, that noise only amplified.
Friday’s news of Amorim’s appointment can at least bring an end to that aspect of speculation.
Yet it instantly generates so much more: How will Amorim cope in the unforgiving glare of one of the world’s most famous clubs? Will he stick to his customary tactical principles or mould them for a new, underperforming, team? How will the players respond to a man touted as one of Europe’s most promising young coaches?
Those answers will only begin to emerge from 11 November, when Amorim bids farewell to Sporting and begins his contract at Old Trafford.
Before then come 10 unusual days for United fans and players alike; a strange period of continuing life under interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy until the long-term future arrives.
With everyone so focused on what happens at that point, it is easy to forget the importance of the here and now, starting with the notable Premier League visit of Chelsea on Sunday.
United head into the weekend in 14th place – their lowest-ever position at the start of November (aside from the COVID-delayed 2020/21 campaign) by a considerable margin.
Man Utd's lowest positions at start of November
| Date | Position | Pts |
| 01/11/20 | 15th | 7 |
|---|---|---|
| 01/11/24 | 14th | 11 |
| 01/11/13 | 8th | 14 |
| 01/11/14 | 8th | 13 |
| 01/11/16 | 8th | 15 |
| 01/11/18 | 8th | 17 |
| 01/11/23 | 8th | 15 |
Depending on results elsewhere, defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday could drop United further to 16th and the unprecedented feeling of hovering above the relegation zone 10 matches into a season.
Never before have they found themselves in the lowly position of 16th later than the fourth match of a Premier League campaign, which they did in 1992/93 before going on to claim the title.
Conversely, victory against Chelsea would likely catapult United into the top half of the table and within sight of the European spots.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 |
West Ham
WHU
|
9 | -3 | 11 |
| 14 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
9 | -3 | 11 |
| 15 |
Leicester
LEI
|
9 | -4 | 9 |
| 16 |
Everton
EVE
|
9 | -6 | 9 |
| 17 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
9 | -5 | 6 |
Renewed sense of optimism
There was already a sense of the feelgood factor returning to Old Trafford on Wednesday night when Van Nistelrooy oversaw a rampant 5-2 EFL Cup triumph against Leicester City.
Buoyed by the end of a Ten Hag saga that had overshadowed recent weeks, supporters conveyed a sense of optimism about an impending new era – and the players seemed to respond.
In scoring five times, United matched their goal tally of their previous six league matches. Wasted chances had become a common theme under Ten Hag, with United scoring only eight times (18th in the rankings) in the Premier League this season from an Expected Goals (xG) of 14.8 (sixth in the rankings).
Against an admittedly much-changed Leicester team, United substantially outperformed their xG of 2.95.
While Van Nistelrooy’s position – a guaranteed four-game stint at the helm without repercussions – presents him little personal jeopardy, it is no simple task.
The Dutchman did not make any major changes to Ten Hag’s trusted 4-2-3-1 system against Leicester and, speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, was adamant that he alone would make all tactical decisions for the remainder of his time in charge.
Of course, Amorim had not officially been announced by then – a fact Van Nistelrooy was eager to point out.
With the future now clearer, it will be interesting to see if Amorim’s style begins seeping into United’s play in the interim period before his arrival.
It is well known that the Portuguese favours a 3-4-3 formation. United have not regularly fielded a back three since the early days of Louis van Gaal in 2014.
It would only be natural for United’s centre-backs to begin wondering how they will fit into the incoming head coach’s new system. So, too, the full-backs and wingers who might be converted into wing-backs.
While Van Nistelrooy will be keen to secure victories that would enhance his future career prospects – beyond his contract as United assistant coach, which has another 18 months to run – his players are in a strange limbo of wanting to impress a new boss occupied with preparing his current Sporting team for their own fixtures.
For all that Wednesday’s EFL Cup victory suggested the shackles might have been removed from United’s players, any sense of uncertainty could also provide a useful time to face them.
Chance for Chelsea to improve record
Chelsea have an awful recent record at Old Trafford, having not won this league fixture at United since May 2013. But Enzo Maresca’s side are banging on the door of the top four and have lost league games only to Manchester City and Liverpool so far this season.
The Italian offered “all the best” to Amorim on Friday, adding that he will give “a big hug” to his former Malaga team-mate Van Nistelrooy.
When asked this week how well equipped this United team is to thrive under new management for the remainder of the season, Van Nistelrooy would speak only of immediate challenges.
“With the short term I’m in this position, I’m only thinking in one thing,” he said. “That’s doing the best we can for every game coming up and that’s a big one against Chelsea on Sunday.”
Both his players and the team’s supporters will be desperate to secure a much-needed win. But it will be difficult not to have one eye on the new era just around the corner.
