Summer recruit Bryan Mbeumo has revealed Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim approaches things in a similar “fun way” to former boss Thomas Frank, while admitting that the start to his Old Trafford career has been “tough.”
Mbeumo was targeted by both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur over the summer and was being reportedly urged by Brentford to consider any suitor aside from United during a stormy saga which dragged on for months. Yet, for a player who grew up with Cristiano Ronaldo’s name arcing across the back of a red shirt, he always favoured a move to Manchester.
The dream switch has not exclusively been sunshine and light thus far. Mbeumo scored his first goal for United in a humiliating Carabao Cup second-round exit to fourth-tier Grimsby Town. The Cameroon international was on target again in the club’s only win of the season against Burnley which was belatedly secured with a stoppage-time penalty from Bruno Fernandes.
“It’s been tough,” Mbeumo told Manchester United’s YouTube channel while playing a game of chess. “I was expecting a lot from here because it’s a big club. It’s a big everything.
“I’m really happy with what happened to me here, the teammates, the staff, everyone in Carrington are lovely people,” Mbeumo continued. “You really want to come in and work here every day, which is really good. When I first arrive somewhere I don’t really know, I don’t like to be loud or show myself a lot [be outgoing].”
Mbeumo: Amorim and Frank Have Similarities
Ruben Amorim played a crucial role in convincing the prolific forward to join United. The former Sporting CP manager has been full of praise for his new recruit and the admiration is clearly mutual; Mbeumo likened Amorim to Frank, the manager who oversaw his rise at Brentford before taking over Tottenham.
“I think I’ve found some similarities because he always tries to do it in a fun way, and I think this is really important because it makes your life more enjoyable,” he studiously noted.
Life for Mbeumo and United could get a lot tougher in the coming weeks. Amorim’s side travel to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday for the first Manchester derby of the season before hosting reigning world champions Chelsea the following weekend.
Mbeumo then heads back to Brentford for the first time, and if United still boast just one solitary Premier League win by the time of that trip to west London, it will carry a lot more weight than just Mbeumo’s homecoming.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bryan Mbeumo: Man Utd Forward Names Key Ruben Amorim, Thomas Frank Similarity.