Ruben Amorim decision reaps rewards for Man Utd where Erik ten Hag failed

Ruben Amorim made his Manchester United players work through their summer break to ensure they were in peak condition when they reported back for pre-season training

After United ended last season in 15th place, their lowest-ever Premier League finish, Amorim sent his players away for the summer with strict fitness programmes to follow. All of United’s players were given detailed fitness programmes to follow during their holidays and it became clear to sports science staff when they reported back for pre-season that the squad had followed the instructions.

On the first few days back for pre-season training, United’s players undertook a series of running drills, with the times they posted confirming their adherence to what was asked of them during the summer break. United’s players have looked sharp in pre-season and the feeling is the fitness work undertaken during the close season helped them to hit the ground running in the build-up to the new campaign

In Chicago, United’s base for their three game US tour, the players have been doing a lot of gym work and disguised fitness drills, in which they will shoot at goal then sprint for 60 yards to build up their stamina, then shoot in another goal and repeat the drill. The purpose of the drill is to build up the fitness levels of the players through the sprints, while disguising the motive within shooting practice, so there is some ball work involved to break the tedium of just running.

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On tour, United’s players have breakfast from 7.30am and must be on the team coach by 9.15am to go to training. After half a hour in the gym, training sessions begin at 10.30am.

Unlike on previous tours, there have been no double sessions, with the intensity of the single sessions considered sufficient for the players, who are rewarded with the afternoons off from around 1pm.

While Amorim has enforced discipline and standards in terms of timekeeping and curfews on tour, his approach has not been as draconian as his predecessor Erik ten Hag, who also took a hardline stance on punctuality and dress code in terms of wearing the right kit on certain days.

Amorim, while expecting high standards of conduct, is said to have fostered more of a bond with his players, who have responded positively to his demands, unlike Ten Hag, whose aloof and detached approach ultimately served to alienate them.

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