United Beyond Manchester

The November international break has arrived with Manchester United finally heating up. Ruben Amorim has arrived and players are off representing their nations. Below are three things to pay attention to during this international window.

1) Can Hojlund Find Goalscoring Form?

Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have combined for three goals in all competitions this season. This number is simply not good enough for strikers at Manchester United.

Ruben Amorim favors stronger, pacy strikers, providing Hojlund a better chance of featuring for the new manager. However, Amorim’s admiration for Viktor Gyorkeres could lead to him signing next summer, leading to a competition in attack.

If Hojlund wants to impress Amorim and retain a starting role for next year, he will need to find form, starting with two tough matches for Denmark against Spain and Serbia.

2) Can In-Form Ugarte Help Uruguay Rebound Against Tough Opponents?

In its past four World Cup Qualifying matches, Uruguay has drawn three and lost one. The loss was to Peru, a shock that provided La Blanquirroja with their first win of the campaign.

Only five points separate third (Uruguay) and eighth (Venezuela) in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying. The top six teams automatically qualify, while the seventh spot enters a play-off round.

Uruguay’s two matches in November are against Colombia and Brazil, two high-powered teams that La Celeste needs results against. Two losses could be disastrous and make the remaining matches stressful for the team and fans.

Manuel Ugarte has been in excellent form for Manchester United and will be the backbone of a Uruguay midfield that should be dictating matches. His continued improvement will be something to watch during the two qualifiers.

3) Ruben Amorim’s First Days in Manchester

New manager Ruben Amorim has arrived in Manchester. On Monday, he met with Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, and Jason Wilcox, while also interacting with players not on international duty.

Over the next two weeks, fans and players will gain insight into what the 39-year-old’s plans are for this season and if tactical changes are imminent. Many questions will be asked and answered, so pay attention to how Amorim handles the initial conversations.

Ruben Amorim’s first match in charge will be at Portman Road against Ipswich Town on November 24th.