Man Utd Considered Appointing Three Other Managers Before Ruben Amorim

Manchester United considered three other managers before deciding that Ruben Amorim was the man to replace Erik ten Hag in the Old Trafford dugout, according to the Athletic.

The Red Devils have endured a miserable start to the new season, accumulating just 11 points from their opening nine Premier League games, a return that sees them sat in 14th in the English top flight. This dismal form prompted the club’s hierarchy to finally part ways with Ten Hag on Monday, commencing the search for the Dutchman’s successor.

Reports swiftly emerged that Amorim has been identified as the ideal replacement, and that the Portuguese manager is ‘close’ to finalising a deal with United. While the pace at which this agreement has seemingly unfolded suggests it was a universal and definitive decision amongst the north-west outfit’s executives, the Athletic have revealed that three other coaches were under consideration for the position.

United Considered Allegri, Terzic and Xavi

But the board had doubts over all three coachs

After finishing eighth last season, the margin for error this campaign was certainly slim for Ten Hag, and it took just 13 matches for United’s new ownership group to pull the trigger. Four wins in all competitions certainly didn’t make for good reading for the maligned manager, and his inevitable fate was confirmed on Monday afternoon.

A new era is imminent at Old Trafford, and it appears the club have moved quickly to ensure it begins as early as possible. Amorim is expected to be named the new United manager, although he may have to wait until after the next international break to take over officially, with Sporting reportedly insistent on this condition.

While Amorim was eventually deemed the clear first choice option, other names were discussed internally. Writing on Wednesday morning, the Athletic confirmed that former Juventus boss Allgeri, ex-Borussia Dortmund manager Terzic and Barcelona legend Xavi were among those in the reckoning, while Thomas Tuchel wasn’t considered on this occasion, motivating him to take the England job earlier this month.

Allegri has been out of a job since leaving Juventus this summer, after leading the Old Lady to a third place finish in Serie A last season, 24 points off winners Inter Milan. His experience certainly trumps the other candidates, and he’s been described as ‘one of the best coaches in the world’, but he’s been lamented in recent years for his conservative style of play. Per the Athletic, the United board felt that the 57-year-old was less likely to be the cornerstone of a long-term project than Amorim, and thus opted against appointing the Italian.

Meanwhile, Terzic impressed in European competition with Dortmund, although his uninspiring league record and inexperience likely deterred the United board. As for Xavi, the Spaniard’s hit-and-miss spell with Barcelona suggests he’s far from a polished entity in regard to his managerial prospects, and talks over his potential appointment weren’t deemed serious.

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