Ruben Amorim earns Michael Owen’s seal of approval with 3-2 win over Bodo/Glimt – as former Man United star pinpoints what marks him out from Sir Alex Ferguson’s other successors

Ruben Amorim‘s Manchester United regime has received the endorsement of Michael Owen. 

The former Red Devil believes there is one key quality to Amorim’s side that marks him out from the other five men who have tried, and failed, to live up to Sir Alex Ferguson‘s legacy. 

United beat Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt 3-2 on Thursday night and while some will downplay the success, it was a valiant comeback win over an upwardly mobile side who have scalped Roma, Besiktas, and Braga in recent seasons. 

Alejandro Garnacho netted in the first minute while Rasmus Hojlund scored twice and United pressed well, although they were vulnerable out wide and went 2-1 down in the first half. 

Some fans stayed behind at the end to chant for Ruben Amorim as he spoke on TNT Sports and Owen was sufficiently impressed by this Europa League outing to rubber-stamp his reign.

‘It’s been over 11 years in the making but Manchester United are all of a sudden good to watch again,’ he wrote on X. 

He said that Manchester United are ‘all of a sudden good to watch again’ after 11 seasons

Unitd beat Bodo/Glimt 3-2 thanks to Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho’s goals

‘Improvement required everywhere you look but this is now a team with potential written all over it.’ 

Clearly Specsavers didn’t agree – the optical retail chain’s official account asked if Owen had a ‘free half hour tomorrow?’ in the comments.  

What is clear is that David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Erik ten Hag have all been ‘permanent’ bosses since Fergie hung up his tactics board in 2013 but none have come close to replicating his success.

The club has failed to add to its haul of 13 Premier League titles accrued under Sir Alex amid a slew of off-field issues. 

Amorim stated in his first interview that winning titles is his aim – something Owen knows about, having lifted the 2010-11 Premier League trophy with United.

Reflecting on the 3-2 win over Bodo/Glimt, which saw him welcomed with a Portuguese-language banner, he offered  realist’s assessment of his side’s performance. 

Owen said that United have ‘potential written all over’ their side after Amorim’s first victory

He feels they are ‘good to watch again’ – unlike Sir Alex Ferguson’s other successors, in his view

Specsavers wondered, with a tongue-in-cheek comment, if Owen had time to pay a visit

‘It was like a real ride. We started very well, then we suffered two goals in two transitions. I like the way the players continued the play our game,’ he said. 

‘I could feel the crowd at 2-1, sometimes we want the ball and we had problems in the past giving the ball away too much. The mindset now is to keep the ball and sometimes they have to go forward. They are really trying and they deserved the win. 

‘I see what everybody sees. Good moments, difficult moments, some confusion in the end trying to hold the result but the lads did a great job. They ran, the pressed, they tried to do the things we worked on these last three days. And we won!’