Teams coached by Rúben Amorim always play with the same structure: 343. While formations may shift with or without the ball, the foundation remains the same. Amorim prefers a three-center-back setup, with the central defender leading the line—this player doesn’t necessarily need to be quick but should have leadership qualities and, ideally, be tall. Although fans may have doubts about Harry Maguire, he could actually suit this role well. But I bet in De Ligt. The left and right center-backs need to be comfortable on the ball, as they often initiate play and sometimes cover wide areas like full-backs. This system takes time to perfect, but with practice, it can be highly effective.
On the wings, during our championship season (2020/2021), we had Nuno Mendes (now at PSG) and Pedro Porro (now with Tottenham). Currently, we’re relying on Quenda, a 17-year-old former winger, and rotate the left side with Geny, Nuno Santos, and Maxi—also all originally wingers. Recently, Amorim has leaned towards using inverted wingers, with a left-footed player on the right and occasionally a right-footed player on the left.
I’m curious about how he’ll use Bruno Fernandes, whether in a central midfield pairing or on the left side of the attack. Regarding possession, Sporting often finishes with over 60% possession, as shown by statistical analyses on
https://goalpoint.pt/todos-os-ratings-24-25_197127 (in Portuguese).
Amorim may surprise you by maximizing performance from players who aren’t currently shining. If I had to bet on his first potential signing (hopefully only after the season ends), it would be Pedro Gonçalves. Amorim has worked with him from day one at Sporting and sees him as essential, even recently saying that Gonçalves would be his priority if he ever left Sporting.
