Think he's just a safer bet. My biggest worry if Amorim was coming to manage my club would be his ignorance. The football he plays he can only get away with in Portugal. This ignorance led to Villas-Boas's failure to being a top manager.
tbf AVB had under 100 senior games as a manager before Chelsea, 1 season at Porto. Amorim has over 200. This is his 4th full season at Sporting. I'd have been more worried by Alonso's "ignorance" of all the candidates that have been linked thus far.
What ? He’s played more attacking football this season but this ‘ignorance’ you speak of hasn’t existed for the rest of his time here
De Zerbi undoubtedly more of a risk to me on the face of it. He is yet to manage any side for more than 3 seasons. Replacing a project manager like Klopp with someone that volatile is a huge gamble.
Hence my worry that Amorim would take that same football and believe it could work in the Premier League, a league far better equipped in taking advantage of over-exuberant attacks/presses and midfields that are all over the place. Two things I've noticed from Sporting this season. Even last season with Ugarte doing his best Gallagher impression.
Considering that, I don't get how you arrive at De Zerbi as the safe candidate then? His Brighton side have been brilliant at times, then will turn in absolute horror results. 6-1 to Villa, 4-0 to Luton, 5-1 to Everton.
Safe by he knows the league. But yeah De Zerbi is very much live by the sword, die by the sword with his football. He's today's Marcelo Bielsa. That being said, I think he's overachieving with the quality he has. I think he's done well with players being injured and Caicedo, MacAllister, and Colwill leaving. He improves players. Before his midfield was stripped apart, his midfield structure last season in both the build up and defensive transition was imo the best in the league. The team press was also among the best in the league. Left the same impression at both Sassuolo and Shaktar. Who knows what he can build on when his best players stay rather than leave season after season. This is not a hill I am going to die on though. He could very well go tits up. Just not against Atalanta this year.
I just find the no experience of a league thing (whilst it matters) is slightly less important now with such vast backroom teams and advanced data analysis at clubs at most levels now. It'll be about the managers ability to make the step up and make those big calls under increased pressure, and at times lean on those around him both playing and coaching staff. Everything staying the same, that squad has a lot of experienced running through it. And the manager will also have Edwards and Hughes to lean on, both have plenty of knowledge and experience in the PL. What I want most from the appointment is for there to not be another "new Liverpool manager" discussion for another 5/6/7 years. On the face of it, Amorim fits that bill - once you accept there will be an initial drop off for sure. He has been Sporting's longest serving manager since before WW2.
Not at all and I think you may be taking my comments more seriously than was my intentions. However, it is also true that we only have limited information to go off of to see how his tactics would fair against premier league opposition. From a quick look, he got destroyed by man city in his first game against an English side while managing sporting, but since then is undefeated (all be it with only 1 win) across 5 games against man city, spurs and arsenal. It's very limited info like I said, but to me that looks like a manager figuring out that his tactics would be exploited by premier league sides and adjusting accordingly. Otherwise I struggle to see how 3 of the best teams in the premier league would have so clearly struggled to "take advantage of over-exuberant attacks/presses", as you put it.
