AFP, MANCHESTER, England
Manchester United are reportedly in talks with Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim to become their next manager after sacking Erik ten Hag following a disastrous start to the season.
Time finally ran out for Dutchman Ten Hag with United 14th in the English Premier League after a fourth defeat in nine league games at West Ham United on Sunday.
Despite spending big in the transfer market this season, one of the world’s wealthiest clubs have won only one of their past eight games in all competitions.
Sporting coach Ruben Amorim, right, is interviewed prior to his side’s Champions League match against Sturm Graz in Graz, Austria, on Tuesday last week.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, a member of Ten Hag’s coaching staff, was named interim boss.
According to multiple British media reports, United want to turn to Amorim, the 39-year-old Sporting manager who is considered one of Europe’s leading young coaches.
Sky Sports reported that United had held discussions with Amorim and are prepared to pay his release clause.
Amorim was linked with the manager’s role at Liverpool following the departure of Juergen Klopp this year, but Dutch coach Arne Slot headed to Anfield instead.
The position of Ten Hag, 54, had been repeatedly called into question after United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe retained him following an internal review at the end of last season when the club finished eighth in the league, but won the FA Cup with a shock victory over Manchester City.
Ten Hag was even rewarded with a one-year contract extension to June 2026, but United have shown little improvement this season and the 2-1 loss at West Ham was the final straw.
“Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager,” a club statement said.
Former United captain Gary Neville said Ten Hag had paid the price for an “unacceptable” league position.
“The big shock for me is how bad they’ve been with the new signings that have come in,” Neville told Sky Sports. “You can’t be in 14th after nine or 10 games with the level of spend that’s occurred without being under significant pressure — and that’s what’s happened.”
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand compared Ten Hag to “a boxer getting hit and knocked down in the third round and never recovering, and getting knocked out.”
Former England striker Alan Shearer said Ten Hag had been “a dead man walking” as soon as it was revealed United had talked to other potential managers in the summer.
For all the Dutchman’s faults, he oversaw just a small period of United’s more general decline since legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Since the Scot’s departure, five permanent managers have now been dismissed without United even challenging for the Premier League title — a trophy they won 13 times under Ferguson.
