Amorim's two key tasks as he tries to revive Man Utd

Ruben Amorim will soon leave a team with 10 league wins this season for one with nine league goals. He will quit a side first in their domestic league for one in 13th.

- RICHARD JOLLY

He will move from a club currently eighth in the Champions League table to one now 21st in the Europa League standings. There are other ways, of course, in which Amorim is not trading down when he swaps Sporting CP for Manchester United.

For now, however, his inheritance is decidedly mixed. Just because United spent some £600m under Erik ten Hag does not mean they acquired £600m worth of players. Amorim will walk into a club at historic lows: United have their lowest number of points after 10 games since 1986-87, their fewest goals at this stage since 1973-74.

One of those seasons was a catalyst for revival, another dragged them still lower. Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed in November 1986. If it is unfair to expect Amorim to have the impact the Scot did, he may not get the time either: he has an initial twoand-a-half-year contract, whereas Ferguson did not win a trophy for three and a half after his arrival.

Half a century ago, meanwhile, United also had nine league goals after 10 games. At Christmas, their goalkeeper, Alex Stepney, was their joint top scorer. At the end of the campaign, they were relegated. History is unlikely to repeat itself, unless Andre Onana reveals a clinical streak.