West Ham United were thrashed against Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend and David Moyes has been left fighting to save the last vestiges of confidence in his ability to lead the club forward over the coming years.
Out of contract this summer, the Scotsman, who has lifted United to their best period in generations and won the Europa Conference League last season, accepted that his future might now be out of his hands. “If it is, then it is, fine – no problem."
Ruben Amorim, revolutionary as Sporting Lisbon helmsman, has been regarded as the frontrunner to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool after Xabi Alonso opted to continue his incredible journey with Bayer Leverkusen, but United have swept ahead in the race for the Portuguese – it would, truly, be a staggering statement of intent from the London Stadium overlords.
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Amorim, only 39, has worked wonders in his homeland with Sporting, toppling the Benfica/Porto monopoly to clinch the Liga Portugal in 2020/21, losing most of his top talents, rebuild, and surge toward the title again in the current campaign – seven points clear at the top with four fixtures left to play.
With a handful of victories in domestic cup competitions too, Amorim would bring title-winning gusto to an outfit with proven credentials down that lane, though it is the tactical approach that has seemingly won the Hammers board over.
With an emphasis on control and technical fizz that creates a habitual sense of unity and progression, Amorim would offer a style almost diametrically opposed to that of Moyes, whose success is steeped in hard-working resilience and steel in defence.
That's not to say Amorim neglects defensive strength; Sporting have conceded 27 goals from 30 league matches this season, three more than Benfica and Porto.
But the slick attacking nature of his offensive approach is the highlight of his tactical style, a lasting imprint left by the intense pressure and overlapping wide play that engulfs and subdues opponents.
Amorim, who speaks fluent English and occasionally shows streaks of fire that bespeak a ruthlessly competitive winning mentality, would certainly offer a different slant than Moyes but he's in the early phase of a prosperous career and he would be the perfect boss to bring Jarrod Bowen's skill to the next level.
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Bowen has been one of the Premier League's leading forwards for a number of years now, praised for his "unbelievable" displays by Klopp in the past. He doesn't always hit the most staggering of goal tallies but few would argue against his quality – and under a progressive coach like Amorim, he could be unshackled and lifted to a new level.
This season, despite the nagging concerns around Moyes' perceived negative tactics, he has posted 19 goals and nine assists in all competitions, alternating between right wing and centre-forward, invariably offering a deadly goal threat.
Centre-forward
22
9
4
Right winger
16
10
5
Right midfield
2
0
0
As per FBref, the 27-year-old ranks among the top 13% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 11% for progressive carries, the top 14% for tackles and the top 4% for interceptions.
Robust and multi-faceted, Bowen could actually be the perfect new talisman for Amorim's system, actually offering similarities to Sporting goal machine Viktor Gyokeres.
Gyokeres was on West Ham's radar last season but after scoring 38 goals and adding 16 assists from 45 games this term, he's captured Arsenal's attention and would cost a whopping €100m (£86m) to sign. It's not going to happen; you have to be realistic about these things.
Still, ranking among the top 3% of forwards across divisions similar to the Portuguese top flight for assists, the top 4% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, Gyokeres' skill set could actually be sculpted at West Ham, in the form of Bowen.
The £54m-rated ace, as evidenced above, is direct and creative in a focal role, all the while upkeeping a deadliness that stems from his predatory instinct.
He's been hailed for his "electric" presence by journalist Rahman Osman, and given Bowen's burgeoning success as a centre-forward this season, he could be unleashed as a top-class talisman up front next season, the spearhead of Amorim's system.
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