Ruben Amorim can improve five Manchester United players after Bruno Fernandes comment

Across his two-and-a-bit years in charge of Manchester United, there was at least some progress made under Erik ten Hag, aside from those memorable cup final victories.

Having taken over an ageing team - and then initially made them even older still - there has been progress recently in reducing the profile of this squad. It hasn't entirely changed, and there is always a place for experience. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen both looked to be on the way out this summer, but the pair of 32-year-olds have been amongst United's best players so far.

But a pivot to focusing on more youthful signings has started to pay dividends. United's average age of their regular Premier League starting XI has dropped by between two and three years since Ten Hag's first season. Now it is up to Ruben Amorim to nurture that talent.

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Gradually, United have phased out some older faces and brought in younger players. Academy graduates such as Kobbie Mainoo, 19, and Alejandro Garnacho, 20, have become key first-team players.

Andre Onana is six years younger than David de Gea. If Amorim picks a three-man defence of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, and Lisandro Martinez, they will be aged 19, 25, and 26. Manuel Ugarte is 23, Amad is 22 and Rasmus Hojlund is 21.

This is a team with plenty of development to come. Just because they're young doesn't mean they will go on to reach the heights required, and it is inevitable some will fall by the wayside, but there is potential there for Amorim to work with.

At 39, he is a young head coach himself. His assistant, Carlos Fernandes, is 29, and coach Adelio Candido is just 28. This is a young staff for a young team, and the aim will be to grow together.

That is what happened at Sporting, where there is always a focus on youth. That is often the market that Portugal's big three shop in now, developing players who are inevitably sold on for a profit. The challenge is to have success while doing so, and Amorim certainly achieved that brief in Lisbon.

As a former Sporting player himself, United captain Bruno Fernandes has followed Amorim's success and had some interesting insights as to how his new boss had protected young players.

“I've seen many, many moments where players were struggling and he kept his faith in them,” Fernandes said.

“He always goes to the press conference and always defends their players and always kept them on under himself to give them the best opportunity to shine.

“He had a really youthful team so they needed that and hopefully when he comes here he can do the same again with the youth. Us players with the most experience, we have to help him to get that and get the best out of every player at this club.”

In Amorim's first title-winning season at Sporting, his side had the fourth youngest average of the 18 teams in the top flight and younger than their traditional rivals Benfica and Porto. Last season it had risen to 26.1, but this term, Sporting are back to having the second youngest team at 23.9. That youthful group have won 11 out of 11 league games under Amorim.

Fourteen different teenagers have been in Amorim's 18 matchday squads [in all competitions] this season, with six of them getting some game time. That list is topped by 17-year-old winger Geovany Quenda, who has featured in every game.

This is a coach who trusts youth and has helped develop players. In the United squad, Yoro, Mainoo, Garnacho, Amad, and Hojlund could all benefit from Amorim's trust and protection. That list includes two teenagers, a 20-year-old, a 21-year-old, and a 22-year-old. They will likely be critical parts of the side under the new head coach.

Having earned a reputation as someone who can bring the best out of young players in Portugal, they are the quintet that will be hoping to push their own games on under Amorim.