Ruben Amorim is officially the new manager of AC Milan. The Portuguese signed a three-year deal last week, just five months after getting sacked by Manchester United. That’s a fast rebound for a guy whose reputation took a serious hit in England.
But here’s the thing. Milan didn’t hire the guy who won two league titles at Sporting Lisbon. They hired the guy who went 18-12-8 at Old Trafford, got bounced from the Champions League group stage, and had the dressing room turn on him by Christmas. That’s the reality of it.
To figure out where it went wrong and what Milan needs to watch out for, we brought on Jack Flintham from the Manchester Evening News for our latest Football Italia Summer Show. He covered Amorim’s entire tenure at United and saw the cracks form in real time.
What actually broke at Old Trafford
The short version: Amorim tried to force Sporting’s system onto a squad that couldn’t run it. His 3-4-3 looks great when you have center-backs who can cover ground and wingbacks who never stop running. United had neither. Harry Maguire isn’t built for that high a line. Marcus Rashford doesn’t track back. And when the results didn’t come, Amorim doubled down instead of adjusting.
Players started tuning him out by October. There were rumblings in the locker room that training was too rigid. That he wasn’t listening to input from senior guys. By the time he got fired in January, some players were reportedly relieved.
Transfer decisions didn’t help either. He pushed for a center-back from Portugal who had never played in a top-five league. That guy’s still adjusting. Meanwhile, United let a veteran midfielder leave on a free because Amorim didn’t rate him. That midfielder ended up starting for a Champions League semifinalist.
What Milan should be worried about
Amorim is walking into a similar situation at the San Siro. Milan’s squad has talent. But it’s also unbalanced, and the fans are impatient. If he tries to force that same 3-4-3 without the right personnel, he’ll get chewed up in Serie A just like he did in the Premier League.
Theo Hernandez is a world-class left back. But he’s not a wingback in the Amorim mold. He needs freedom to roam forward, not a rigid lane. And Milan’s central defense has been shaky for two seasons. Adding a high line to that mix is a gamble.
Fans online noted this already. The sentiment on Milan forums and social media seems split. Some see the talent that won in Lisbon. Others see a guy who crashed and burned at the highest level and wonder if he just got lucky in a weaker league.
The club hasn’t commented on those concerns. But internally, sources close to the dressing room say some players are already asking about Amorim’s methods. That’s not a great sign before the first preseason game.
One thing that might save him
Amorim is not stupid. He knows he has to adapt. According to reports, he’s already told Milan’s front office he wants a versatile midfielder and a fast center-back before the window closes. He’s not asking for his old Sporting guys this time. That’s a sign he learned something.
Whether that’s enough? We’ll see. But the first six weeks of the season will tell us a lot. If Milan comes out playing the same system and looks lost, the pressure will come fast. If Amorim shows flexibility, he might just pull this off.
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