Ruben Amorim’s Pre-season with Man Utd Stars is A Big Plus

Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd Pre-season Feels Like a Blueprint for Progress

There’s something refreshing about watching a football team in August and seeing movements that make sense, albeit, in pre-season, it’s not about scorelines or silverware, but about whether the puzzle pieces look like they belong together.

Under Ruben Amorim, Manchester United’s summer has been less about showy victories and more about fitting those pieces into a picture that feels coherent.

Instead of chasing frantic end-to-end friendlies, Amorim has turned the past few weeks into a workshop. Think of it as fine carpentry, every joint measured, every edge smoothed rather than hurried construction.

Players have been walked through their tasks with the precision of a chess coach explaining why a single misplaced pawn can unravel an entire game. That sort of micro-adjustment isn’t glamorous, but it’s how foundations are laid.

The early hints of this work showed themselves in bursts. Watching Bryan Mbeumo glide into space, Matheus Cunha peel away to collect possession, and Bruno Fernandes act as the hinge between them felt like a completely different dynamic to last season’s often fractured attacks.

The tempo was sharp, passes threaded with intent, and the movement knitted together into something you could imagine working under pressure, especially against Bouremouth.

But Amorim’s impact isn’t limited to the front three. Leny Yoro has slotted into central defence with the calm of a player who’s been there for years, Luke Shaw looks assured on the left of a back three, and Mason Mount seems to have found a rhythm alongside Fernandes that seems to unlock more fluid passing lanes.

Out wide, Amad Diallo and Patrick Dorgu are offering the kind of wing-back threat his system demands, stretching the pitch and providing options on the break, although the former isn't a typical wing-back, but we shall see how that pans out when the new campaign resumes.

Ruben Amorim’s Pre-season with Man Utd Stars is A Big Plus

This isn’t to say the picture is complete. No, far from it. The lack of a clinical, ready-made No. 9 was the gap in the frame until Benjamin Sesko was unveiled over the weekend, and a two-man midfield lacking grit in the Premier League can be as dangerous as it is bold.

Offloading those who no longer fit the plan has also proven trickier than expected. And with Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Spurs all strengthening, there’s very little room for stumbles once the season begins.

The Fiorentina Finish

The final test of the summer was a 1-1 draw with Serie A club Fiorentina followed by a 5-4 penalty shootout win to lift the Snapdragon Cup. It was less about the trophy and more about reaffirming the strides made in the U.S.

Simon Sohm’s early strike for the visitors was cancelled out by a Robin Gosens own goal after sustained United pressure. From there, Amorim’s side showed composure rather than chaos, with Cunha, Yoro, and Maguire all going close before penalties decided it.

In the shootout, Altay Bayindir’s save from Fiorentina’s fifth attempt set the stage for Kobbie Mainoo to bury the winner. The match also served as a mini-celebration of the summer: debuts for new signings, crisp passing patterns, and a warm ovation for returning legend David De Gea, who was honoured before kick-off.

It wasn’t a fireworks finale, but that’s not the point. This pre-season has been about building a side that knows exactly what it’s trying to do, and against Fiorentina, they looked like a team that can translate August drills into meaningful autumn performances.

There were moments when they didn’t have the ball and often seemed as though they could concede at any time. The start of both the first and second halves was below what Amorim would have wanted to see, yet they looked like a much better outfit overall.

Still, optimism isn’t built on perfection, it’s built on direction. For the first time in a while, United’s pre-season feels like a carefully plotted route rather than a hopeful wander. Amorim hasn’t just been preparing a team; he’s been imprinting an identity.

Whether that identity can hold its shape under the intensity of the Premier League is the next big question, but for now, there’s a tangible sense of progress.

For supporters starved of a clear vision, that’s already a victory worth noting.