AC Milan took the puzzling decision to hire Ruben Amorim following a spectacularly bad spell at Manchester United.
At Old Trafford, he failed remarkably, tarnishing his reputation as one of Europe’s brightest young coaches.
Milan are banking on the Portuguese tactician finding the magic touch that brought him success at Sporting CP following the dismissal of Massimiliano Allegri.
Still, Milan’s decision to hand him the reins raises more questions than answers.
On paper, it sounds like a brave move. In reality, it could backfire comically. Here are five reasons why Amorim’s spell at AC Milan could end in failure.
Milan hired a coach before establishing a footballing vision
One of the biggest red flags surrounding Amorim’s appointment is the lack of a coherent sporting structure.
Successful modern clubs rarely recruit a manager first and then decide what direction they want to take.
Instead, clubs establish a sporting identity before appointing a coach who fits that philosophy.
Milan appear to have done the opposite by failing to identify long-term sporting leaders following the dismissal of Igli Tare and Geoffrey Moncada.
Amorim is walking into an environment that lacks clear leadership above him, making it far harder to build something sustainable when inevitable setbacks arrive.
Milan’s squad isn’t built for his rigid three-person defence
Amorim has shown throughout his coaching career that he is loyal to his 3-4-3 system. The problem is that Milan’s squad isn’t constructed to play it.
Their centre-back options are better suited to a back four, while the full-backs are not natural wing-backs capable of covering the entire flank.
Rather than adapting to his players, Amorim has consistently asked players to adapt to him.
That stubbornness was heavily criticised during his time at Manchester United, where he repeatedly forced square pegs into round holes (see Bruno Fernandes deep in midfield).
Unless Milan undertake a massive squad overhaul, the same tactical mismatch is likely to appear at the San Siro.
His hands-off coaching style won’t survive Serie A
Serie A remains one of the most tactically sophisticated leagues in world football, despite its dire lack of quality players due to its waning financial power.
Even clubs in the bottom half are managed by coaches capable of devising devastating, detailed game plans and making serious in-game adjustments.
Amorim’s coaching philosophy places considerable emphasis on automatisms, trusting players to solve situations within the framework established during training.
That approach worked brilliantly at Sporting, where his squad fit his ideas. It looked far less convincing in England when opponents figured those patterns.
Serie A coaches are arguably even more tactically astute. If Amorim cannot consistently outmanoeuvre opponents from the touchline, Milan could quickly find themselves outthought every week.
Milan’s transfer business is unlikely to give him what he needs
Amorim’s system demands specialist profiles. He needs wing-backs, aggressive ball-playing centre-backs and inside forwards.
Unfortunately for him, Milan’s recruitment since Paolo Maldini’s departure has often lacked consistency and ambition.
Promising targets have slipped away, while several arrivals have looked poor (see Niclas Fullkrug, Pervis Estupinan, etc).
Amorim will inherit another squad that only partially fits his philosophy, a recipe for disaster.
Managers dependent on specific tactical structures rarely succeed without significant backing, and recent history suggests Milan are unlikely to provide exactly what he wants.
Milan are ignoring recent lessons with Portuguese coaches
Perhaps the strangest aspect of Amorim’s appointment is the timing. Milan recently endured disappointing spells under Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao.
While every coach deserves to be judged on their own merits, the club has already experienced how difficult it can be for Portuguese coaches to translate their success into results in Italy.
Instead of reflecting on why those appointments failed, Milan appear to have doubled down by hiring another Portuguese coach.
That feels less like a silly move that could have dire repercussions.