Amorim explains the reasons for sticking with the 3-4-3 formation! He aims to lead Manchester United for 20 years, and the team has improved, so he no longer wants to resign.

Manchester United secured their first "trophy" under Ruben Amorim's management in the United States. While it was merely a commercial match title, some Red Devils supporters were reminded that after Ten Hag claimed a preseason trophy, the team ended their trophy drought that season and successfully qualified for the Champions League.

In January, Amorim joked in an interview that he had just turned 40 but felt like he was already 50. During his first half-season at Manchester United, he has given more interviews than in his entire previous coaching career! Sometimes he feels exhausted, but now he seems to be in good spirits. During the Red Devils' preseason, Amorim also regularly went for runs, training at the gym at 7 a.m., which has paid off.

"I feel more excited now," said Amorim. "I've learned a lot, including some small things. How to prepare for matches, and sometimes not to be so idealistic. The past is behind me, and I truly believe I will better manage this season."

Reportedly, in February, after Manchester United suffered consecutive defeats and faced numerous player injuries, a disheartened Amorim briefly considered resigning. After losing the Europa League final in May, he also stated that if the board felt he was unsuitable, he could step down without compensation.

However, Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, club CEO Omar Berrada, and sporting director Jason Wilcox reassured him. Amorim noted that he has experienced situations where he was on the verge of being dismissed. "Saying I want to leave might stem from pride; that's just who I am. In the 2020/21 season, I won the league title in my first full season as a coach. The following year, we were runners-up, but in the third year, we lost players like Nunes and Palhinha, finishing fourth in the league, and I resigned then. My agent joked that I didn’t need to sign a big contract because I would leave on my own if things went wrong. I might be a bit romantic about things."

Amorim emphasized that the support from Manchester United has given him peace of mind. "I've always felt this way," he said. "Last season, there were times I was more concerned about myself than them, but they always supported me. Can you think of any major club whose manager hasn't been dismissed after losing so many matches? You can't find such examples! So this speaks louder than words about their support for me."

One study shows that since Sir Alex retired in 2013, the average tenure of Manchester United managers has only been two years, including Amorim's mentor, Mourinho. But Amorim boldly claims he can break this curse and even hopes to coach for more than 20 years like Sir Alex!

"I want to be Manchester United's manager for 20 years. This has always been my goal, and I firmly believe I can achieve it; good things will happen. Sometimes I'm lucky, especially during my coaching period when luck has been on my side. My intention is to work here for many years. Results determine everything, and I know that the rookie protection period I had when I first started coaching last year is over. But I am ready to start anew."

Amorim won the Primeira Liga title twice in four full seasons at Sporting Lisbon. However, in his first six months at Manchester United, his previously accumulated ideal win rate significantly dropped, with a record of 16 wins, 10 draws, and 16 losses, primarily supported by victories in the Europa League, but he lost the final, which was the most crucial match. Amorim is well aware that Manchester United must have a good start this season, but he expresses confidence.

"If you look closely, you'll find that the same was true for Sporting Lisbon. They said I would be dismissed within three months. They also claimed my chances of winning at Sporting Lisbon were only 3%," he said. "The pressure at Manchester United is indeed different, but I don't want to change clubs. I enjoy building relationships with players and moving forward together. I've always been waiting for the right club; it may sound crazy, but I chose this club because I have that feeling. Until I lose that feeling, I will stay."

Amorim stressed that the pressure he feels now is not as intense as during the final phase of his playing career. He took a year off before retiring due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, during which he faced financial pressures. Now, the young Portuguese coach may have achieved financial freedom, and the pressure he feels comes solely from his work.

"This is not the most stressful time in my life. I was a professional player, but due to injuries, I retired very suddenly. I remember my wife and I had a spreadsheet that recorded all our assets and everything I needed. I wanted to contribute to my family and bear so many responsibilities. At that time, I felt much greater pressure. Now, I have no pressure in that regard; it's more about personal matters. I want to be Manchester United's manager for a longer time; I don't want to fail, and that's the only pressure I face."

Amorim indicated that taking over Manchester United mid-season last year made him feel somewhat constrained. "Last season, I felt very frustrated, unable to do anything but wait. As Manchester United's manager, it felt like I was fighting with my hands tied behind my back," he explained. "Sometimes, I could only hold on until the end because everything I needed to do required a fresh approach, more time, and changes that couldn't be implemented mid-season, including staff and players around the team. In the last three months of the season, my only goal was to strive for the Europa League title. We went through many tough moments, such as conserving energy for European competitions, where key players could only play for 60 minutes. Against teams like Newcastle, you have to perform exceptionally well; otherwise, you get into trouble, and we had to substitute players after 60 minutes. At Manchester United, that's not something you can easily do; you can't just say you're substituting three players because you're competing for the Europa League."

Manchester United suffered a humiliating 1-4 defeat to Newcastle in the match Amorim mentioned, and the team also lost to Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Brentford, Chelsea, and West Ham. Amorim stated that he anticipated facing difficulties before the match. "Honestly, the hardest part isn't the feeling after the match but the situation before the match starts when I arrive at the stadium. Because I know very well that we will definitely encounter difficulties in the specific match. The hardest part to accept is knowing that when we go into the match, we cannot compete with the opponent and not knowing what to do. After the match, I go home, thinking only about my family and reflecting on different things. But I certainly feel disappointed."

Amorim expressed that he won't experience that kind of anxiety next season. "As long as I feel that Manchester United will be competitive before the match, we will be fine. I just don't want to return to that feeling of believing the two teams are not on the same level."

Amorim believes that a season without European competitions is the best time for reform, and he is confident that Manchester United, which finished 15th in the Premier League last season, can return to the Champions League in a year. "This year is an excellent opportunity to do this work because there are no European matches, and we need to set standards so that we can be prepared for the next season to cope with reduced training. All the conditions are in place; we can play, play, and play."

However, not having the Champions League means limited rotation, and some players will have to leave the club. Amorim stated, "I plan to build a smaller squad so that everyone feels very important. If there are too many players in the squad, it takes a week to prepare, and many players cannot participate in training due to not playing, which leads to frustration and a decline in training quality."

Amorim's insistence on the 3-4-3 formation has drawn significant criticism. People believe that a head coach should be flexible, especially when Manchester United is striving for victory. But he emphasizes that he has been continuously improving.

"In my short coaching career, I've changed many things," Amorim explained. "Once I discover different methods that work, I adopt them. I imitate many other coaches' approaches, such as their tactical arrangements, warm-up methods, etc. I'm not that stubborn. But to become a truly strong team, we need a solid foundation. Once that foundation is secure, we will start trying various different actions. This is a gradual development process."

Amorim continued, "I said during my interview with Manchester United that I wouldn't try to survive by any means and wouldn't accept any ideas that don't belong to me. From the beginning, this is the only correct approach I know. Let's first build a solid foundation. Will we incur losses because of this? That may be inevitable."