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Liverpool legend urges Ruben Amorim to copy Jurgen Klopp at Manchester United

liam corless
·2-min read
-Credit: (Image: Getty)
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has told Ruben Amorim that it would be wise to take a leaf out of Jurgen Klopp's book when he takes charge of Manchester United.

Amorim, who Liverpool considered earlier this year, will reportedly complete his move to Old Trafford during the November international break, with the Red Devils acting quickly to replace Erik ten Hag after he was dismissed on Monday following an atrocious start to the season.

Ten Hag presided over just four wins across United's opening 14 games of the campaign and left with the club sitting in 14th place in the Premier League table. United has since recorded its fifth win of the season, with interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy overseeing a 5-2 win over Leicester in the Carabao Cup last 16.

Van Nistelrooy is set to remain in charge for United's three games leading into the break, and Amorim will reportedly take charge of his first match as manager in an away game against Ipswich on November 24.

Nicol believes it will be crucial that Amorim shows strong character throughout the rebuild process, just as Klopp did after taking over from Brendan Rodgers in 2015.

“He has to have really strong character because this is going to take time and because you see that team, probably 90 per cent of that team is going to have to move on”, Nicol told ESPN. “But what he has to do is kind of do what Klopp did. He had to move everybody on, which he did, but it took time, but every time you watched them, you could see something was coming. You could see a difference; you could see it was getting better.

“Even though they were not winning games, they were taking a huge step forward. As long as he can get his team to do that, then he will be fine, but if he does not and he does not have the character to handle when things are not going well at United, then nothing is going to change.

“Obviously he is going to have to have the backing and the recruitment, which is absolutely the key. If the recruitment is good and they get it right, then he will succeed and he will go forward.”