Man Utd 'appoint record-breaking coach' to help Ruben Amorim as INEOS find marginal gains

Manchester United have appointed record-breaking track and field coach Harry Marra as a temporary consultant as part of Sir Dave Brailsford's search for long-term marginal gains, according to reports. Marra, a world-renowned name in athletics, is lending his expertise at Carrington in a move that has INEOS' fingerprints all over it.

Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 system requires high-intensity running to cover a significant amount of ground on and off the ball.

United have struggled with the Portuguese tactician's demands thus far, with a lack of physicality and athleticism in the squad Erik ten Hag clear.

The Red Devils look set to address the issue in the transfer market after agreeing an initial £25million deal for Lecce left-wing-back Patrick Dorgu.

But they are also utilising Marra to help improve the current crop of players and offer insight that the club's performance staff can put into action in future years.

According to The Athletic, the 78-year-old is providing advice on different aspects of athletics, like the mechanics of running to cover ground with speed and endurance.

Marra was spotted close to Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors' box - wearing a United tracksuit - for the 2-1 Europa League win against Rangers last Thursday.

It's claimed that Sam Erith, the club's interim performance director, recommended the experienced coach, having previously worked in the United States.

Before joining the Red Devils, Erith spent two years working closely with the New York Knicks and New York Rangers as senior vice-president for player performance and science lead at Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.

United executives are said to have instigated the arrangement, which is set to last a few weeks, in line with Amorim's green light.

The report adds that several of Amorim's players have been considering using personal coaches to help meet the physical demands of the Premier League and their new manager's philosophy.

Upon arriving in Manchester, the 40-year-old memorably said that only those who run like "mad dogs" would have a future under his watch.

Marra has grown a reputation for breaking down movements into mechanisms based on scientific principles.

The American coached two-time decathlon world record-holder Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen, world and Olympic medalist in the heptathlon.

He was named World Athletics Coach of the Year in 2016, and two years later, he guided Lalu Muhammad Zohri to become the first-ever Indonesian medallist at the World Junior Championships.

Marra is likely one of many short-term appointments to come in the ilk of Brailsford and INEOS' previous moves to support success in other sports.