Amorim makes special request to Man Utd board in bid to avoid second nightmare
Manchester United endured a woeful first season under the tutelage of Rubem Amorim and it appears that the Portuguese is keen on some more changes behind the scenes at Old Trafford
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has requested his former trusted ally Acacio Valentim be added to his staff as part of another coaching restructure. The Portuguese head coach is determined to avoid another woeful campaign after a tricky first season at the helm.
After replacing Erik ten Hag following a move from Sporting Lisbon, he led United to 14th in the Premier League, while they were defeated in the Europa League final by Spurs. And ahead of his second season with the club, Amorim has asked for some help behind the scenes.
According to Portuguese outlet Record, Amorim has made a personal request to United chiefs to make a move for Acacio Valentim. The 49-year-old previously worked alongside his countryman as a coach at former club Braga, with Amorim keen to be reunited at Old Trafford.
Talks are reportedly underway over a move to the UK, with Valentim a free agent having exited the Portuguese club this summer. His move would become the latest reshuffle behind the scenes since Amorim's arrival.
Erik ten Hag 's former staff members including Ruud van Nistelrooy all left - the Dutchman has now been sacked by Leicester. Rene Hake, Jelle ten Rouwelaar and Pieter Morel all also left following Amorim's arrival.
Set piece coach Andreas Georgson was initially retained but appeared to take on a new role in December after Amorim confirmed that his assistant Carlos Fernandes was instead at the forefront of set piece planning.
Explaining the change after a clash with Arsenal, he said: "The thinking is Carlos is responsible for set pieces, different stuff. Andreas is also there to help. That's it. That's the reason.
"I think if you follow Premier League for a long time you can see that they (Arsenal) are also big players for that. And you can see it in every occasion that (Bukayo) Saka and (Gabriel) Martinelli has one against one, a lot of times they go outside and cross. They already know if the cross is going well, they can score. If it's a corner, they can score.
"So we have to be better on that situation but like in every area of our game we need time to improve also. But you can see in all Arsenal games every team has a problem with that."
Georgson eventually left his role in May of this year, while a number of prominent backroom figures have also departed Old Trafford over recent weeks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Club World Cup has been a joy and it could be game-changer for Chelsea and City
The Club World Cup has been such a different experience. And it feels like I am not allowed to admit this but I am enjoying this way more than I expected. Yes, it's not been without major issues and problems. But it's been fun, entertaining and a real change of pace. Honestly, we can be so dismissive, so arrogant and so angry when anyone has the audacity to do something different. If we don't like it in Europe then it must be completely wrong and ill informed. And you are absolutely kidding yourself if you think it does not matter to the clubs who are here. Chelsea and Manchester City can see the £97m prize money for the winners and that is a huge game-changer for them. Also, City boss Pep Guardiola is a born winner and anyone who thinks he does not want to win this is kidding themselves. Now the players are here - and yes, many of them said publicly they have reservations - they are going for it and want to win. That is the nature of being a professional and reaching the top. It has thrown up good games. City's demolition of Juventus was a really high quality game. The Brazilian clubs have been a revelation. Their fans even better. Paris Saint Germain were sensational in their 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid. And it was in front of 80,000 fans. Yes, Chelsea's delayed game with Benfica has suddenly thrown up a different debate about weather issues and it will become an even bigger problem ahead of next summer's international World Cup. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca branded it a 'joke' and you can understand any manager, winning 1-0 with six minutes left, would be furious at the players being taken off the pitch for nearly two hours. They restarted, conceded and nearly blew it before winning in extra time. That was the sixth game delayed by weather. FIFA may need to look and see if the safety protocols are over zealous ahead of next summer because if we get a thunderstorm in England then games do not stop. However, the weather can be extreme here. But if, like me, you went downstairs into the concourse in the stadium in Charlotte then you would discover hundreds of fans completely used to such delays and they were relaxed and waiting patiently. It was a drag but no more. What should we do? Stop playing sport in the US? And if I see one more piece of a journalist going into a bar and no-one knowing the 'soccer' was on. Come on. That's tired and cliched. They know as much as non-football fans in London don't care if a game is on or not. The reality is that there was a paltry crowd for Chelsea's first game. But the attendances have been decent. Some crowds are half full and Charlotte's stadium was just over a third full. But those who were there were in Chelsea shirts, they turned up, were loud and loved it. The knock-out phases now have Inter Miami against PSG plus other good stories and a potential all-Premier League semi final between Chelsea and City. It has been well organised. The time difference has made it tricky to cover and, more importantly, harder to watch on TV in England. But I think it will get more viewers, more interest and more pick-up from here on in. I love football so much that I would watch any game, any time and anywhere. I don't need much persuading to watch the world's best. Yes, there are huge issues to overcome. The football calendar. Players are not being considered in this. The next one - and there will be one in 2029 without doubt - will have to find a different slot. Why not scrap the June international window? Put it in there so players get a holiday afterwards. This Club World Cup has been too spread out. The travel and planning blows your mind - and for fans it blows their budget, too. The simple solution would be to play it across three cities nearby in the US. For example, New York, Philadelphia and one other. Flying left, right and centre from Miami to wherever is no good for the environment and is a seriously bad look. The crazy kick-off times. 12 noon in searing hot sun. That is just crazy. It's just too much. Yes, they are trying to make European TV schedules work, but it's just too hot and you are likely to see a bad game. There are serious issues. But to blindly dismiss this is wrong. Just because it's different and new doesn't make it wrong. I think there is something to work with and build on. And this has been an interesting and entertaining glimpse of the future. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sky has slashed the price of its bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more. Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
South Wales Guardian
15 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Chelsea response to storm setback ‘shows how far we've come'
Chelsea were forced back into their dressing room for almost two hours after a thunderstorm interrupted their last-16 tie against the Portuguese giants in Charlotte with just four minutes remaining. The Blues had been leading 1-0 at the time courtesy of a superb James free-kick, but Benfica hit back to equalise with a controversial Angel Di Maria penalty after play finally resumed. That took the clash to extra time, but the sending-off of Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni proved critical and Chelsea ran out 4-1 winners with goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Chelsea can now look forward to a last-eight encounter with Palmeiras in Philadelphia on Friday, but it was the storm delay that was the main talking point at the Bank of America Stadium. It was the latest of a series of games in the tournament to have been paused because of extreme weather – a situation described as a 'joke' by Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who also questioned whether the United States was a suitable host. James told the club's website: 'It was a very difficult game with a lot of interruptions. The climate wasn't the best, the pitch wasn't the best. It was very slow and hard to play. 'You get to 85 minutes and then the game has to be stopped for a long period of time. It takes a lot out of the players. They cool down and then they need to restart that engine again. 'It's tough, but we're happy we got the job done. To be so close to the end and then have a kick in the teeth, but pick yourself up and dust yourself down and go on again to score three goals – I think it probably shows how far we've come.' Something special from the skipper! 💫 — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 29, 2025 Until the weather changed the atmosphere, James' 64th-minute strike had looked like being the winner. Benfica had been expecting the defender to cross from wide on the left, but James instead whipped a curling right-footed shot over the wall and in at the near post. He said: 'When I was walking over I spoke to the centre-halves and said, 'What do you want?' 'They just said a shot-cross inswinger. I said, 'No problem'. Then I got to the ball and I saw the keeper's position. He showed me too much of the goal so I just decided to shoot.' With a six-day gap before their next fixture, Maresca has said he will now give the players a couple of days off before beginning preparations to face Palmeiras.
South Wales Guardian
15 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Man City out to continue fresh start at Club World Cup by reaching last eight
City were the only team in the tournament to win all three of their group games and they will hope to carry that momentum into their last-16 outing in Orlando. Unlike Chelsea, who are trying to add a final flourish to a 2024-25 season in which they won the Conference League, City have been trying to make a fresh start in the United States. Manager Pep Guardiola has viewed the competition as the start of a new campaign in order to make a clean break from what was a frustrating past year. That approach so far seems to have been vindicated with the side, bolstered by some new signings, playing with a fresh vigour. Wydad Casablanca and Al Ain were swept aside by an aggregate of 8-0 before City thrashed Juventus 5-2 in a statement performance last Thursday. 'We're still early in the season, but I think the energy is different,' said Matheus Nunes, who shone at right-back against the Italians. 'I think last year we were a little down in terms of spirit, but we know what it means to play for Manchester City and this season that's definitely going to change. 'What I like most about this tournament is that we entered all the games to win and it has to be that way until the final.' All our @FIFACWC group stage goals in 45 seconds ⏱️#FIFACWC | LIVE on — Manchester City (@ManCity) June 28, 2025 After four successive Premier League titles – a period that included the glorious treble of 2022-23 – City fell below their own high standards last season. They failed to muster a strong defence of their domestic crown and were eliminated from the Champions League before the last 16. They even failed to land the FA Cup as a consolation prize as they lost to Crystal Palace in the final. The underwhelming performances prompted the start of a squad overhaul in January with the arrivals of Nico Gonzalez, Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis. That has continued this summer with the signings of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Marcus Bettinelli. Nunes admits he does not know why last season was so disappointing but is confident the corner has been turned. 'I think a lot of things happened last year that didn't go well,' the Portuguese said. 'I don't know the reasons. 'But I think there is a very fundamental principle for all games – go on to the field to win the three points. I think this year is going to be different.'
