Ruben Amorim's £16m Manchester United challenge has suddenly got a little bit easier

Ruben Amorim has refused to shy away from the size of the challenge that lies ahead of him at Manchester United.

"I feel ready for the new challenge," the new United head coach said on Sunday, hosting his final press conference as Sporting Lisbon boss. "I'm not naive, I know it's going to be very different, very difficult."

Less than 24 hours later, Amorim touched down in Manchester, was chauffeur-driven to Carrington and greeted by United chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox. It was at that moment the Amorim era began.

READ MORE: Ruben Amorim's five-word instruction to United squad will be put to the test

READ MORE: United have another prolific youth striker despite signing Chido Obi-Martin

Still waiting to obtain a work permit that will allow him to conduct training sessions, Amorim is now a little over a week away from taking charge of United for the very first time.

His first challenge is to try and get the better of Ipswich Town, who secured their first Premier League win in 22 years last time out, at Portman Road on the other side of this current international break.

That battle will be part of the war United are going to have to try and win to secure a top four finish this season, and with it Champions League qualification for 2025/26. The club is currently 13th in the Premier League table, but only four points shy of third-placed Chelsea.

When Erik ten Hag was sacked on October 28, less than 24 hours after a controversial 2-1 defeat to West Ham United, United were 14th in the standings, had 11 points and were seven points short of the top four.

As a result of earning four points from two league games under former interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, who oversaw a 1-1 draw with Chelsea and a 3-0 win over Leicester City, plus the fact others have recently stuttered, United are now back within touching distance of the coveted Champions League places.

Of course, there is a lot of traffic between themselves and fourth place at the moment, but the league table is still continuing to take shape. Only nine points currently separate Chelsea in third and Everton in 16th.

Following this international break, which is the final one until March, one would expect the table to start taking natural shape, with some climbing and others falling. A lack of consistency has been a common theme for a lot of clubs so far this term, United included.

But with Amorim now at the helm, United will be hoping to look up rather than down. His appointment has brought a feeling of fresh energy to Old Trafford and it is no secret that his arrival has generated a sense of optimism.

Taking charge with just 11 league games played, Amorim still has 81 points to fight for. That figure has previously been enough to win the Premier League title.

Of course, title chatter isn't something that has done the rounds at Old Trafford thus far this season, nor is it expected to. Talk of achieving a top four berth, however, should be discussed with confidence.

For all the doom and gloom this season has produced thus far, United are right in the thick of the race for Champions League qualification, even if their current league position of 13th suggests otherwise. A four-point gap can soon be wiped out.

United, on paper at least, should be looking at their next two league fixtures (Ipswich A and Everton H) and be confident of getting six points on the board. Amorim will dream of winning his first game in charge and then his first home league game, meaning the prospect of collecting a maximum haul ahead of a tough-looking December schedule cannot be understated.

Champions League qualification, which is going to become a bare minimum expectation year-on-year for Ineos, was worth £16million to clubs this season, with the new-look league phase leading to bigger prize money being on offer. A total of £575m was split equally between the 36 clubs that qualified for the league phase.

Furthermore, bonuses are set at £1.8m per win or £601,000 per draw. The further a club goes in the competition, the greater the offerings, of course.

For United, the long-term goal is to get back into the Champions League and become a dominant force again. Before that dream becomes a reality, however, United need to prove they are even worthy of a place at European football's top table.

To ensure they receive an invitation, however, Amorim needs to get their season started once and for all. Nevertheless, the task is not quite as daunting as it was only a few weeks ago.