Ruben Amorim walked into Manchester United with a clear goal in mind, to shake up the way the team operates on a daily basis. Since taking over in November, the Portuguese manager hasn’t hesitated to make tough calls, making it obvious that performance is now the main yardstick. Forget long speeches; his approach leans heavily on action and transparency, making sure players know that if they don’t give their all in training or on matchday, there will be consequences.
Game-changing weapon
As reported by The Telegraph, United has rolled out tracking vests equipped with real-time motion tech. These devices churn out roughly five million data points during every match or training session, feeding Amorim exact details on each player’s output. The gear in question is the Apex 2.0 from STATSports, capable of logging everything from total distance covered to bursts of acceleration, work rate, and top speed.
Amorim has been upfront about how he intends to use it. “If you don’t train the right way, I have images to show. And I show them in front of everyone. So, I’m always on top of the players. I hope to reach a stage where I don’t need to do anything because they’ll be pushing each other,” he told The Telegraph.
Then he doubled down. “But if you train badly once, I’ll show you the image right away. I’m not going to talk to you, I’ll just show you. I’ll show you everything.”
More control and fewer injuries
The benefits aren’t limited to tracking effort. Paul McKernan, STATSports’ director, explained that the system is also a powerful tool for preventing muscle injuries. “In real time, they can monitor the dynamic stress load – it’s an injury indicator. Injuries can happen, but we can predict when players are entering that zone,” he said.
That kind of insight could be critical over the grind of a long season, helping United keep their key players fit and ready to go.
With these numbers visible to the whole squad, Amorim is shaping a culture where nobody wants to be the one singled out in the next review session. He’s even admitted that his long-term goal is to step back from constant policing and let the players hold each other accountable. But until that day comes, he’s sticking with a firm grip on both control and transparency.
Over time, this setup might prove to be a real difference-maker, giving United the edge to stay sharp and competitive while keeping the squad in peak condition.