Manchester United are considering appointing a young manager from the Portuguese league to replace Ruben Amorim as INEOS risk learning nothing from the past 14 months, according to a bombshell report. Amorim’s Reign Ends The Red Devils dismissed Amorim this morning after internal tensions between with executive branch spilled out into the public following the 1-1 draw with Leeds United. The Portuguese coach made his position at Old Trafford untenable after publicly criticising the club – with director of football Jason Wilcox receiving the brunt of his anger. With a dreadful record on the pitch, and mounting difficulties off it, INEOS were left with no other decision than to sack Amorim, despite having steadfastly backed him since arrival from Sporting CP. Darren Fletcher – a former Red Devil and current Under-18’s manager – has taken over the senior side on an interim basis, while a permanent caretaker is sourced to lead the side for the remainder of the season. But the search for a long-term replacement for Amorim is already well underway, with host of candidates – inside and outside England – under consideration. And, an an ironic twist, The Telegraph reveals one of the targets is Francisco Farioli – the 36-year-old tactician from Liga Portugal, currently in charge of Porto. Once Bitten, Twice Shy Though Farioli is Italian, he offers many parallels with the coach he would be succeeding in Manchester. He is a young manager with a clear philosophy predicated on a high-press and forcing transitions. He is inexperienced, yet confident, with only one season in a top five European league – in charge of OGC Nice in another ironic twist, given INEOS retain sporting control of the Ligue 1 side as well. Total Football Analysis explains how the 36-year-old has lifted Porto to the summit of Portuese football. “Under Farioli tactics, Porto have transformed their build-up from the back into a more structured, positional process. “The goalkeeper and centre-backs are involved early, with the pivot (No. 6) often dropping between the central defenders to form a back three and create numerical superiority in the first phase of possession, or when one of the full-backs stops with two centre-backs.” This is distinct from Amorim’s system – but the parallels of appointing a young coach with virtually no experience at the top level or a familiarity with the rigours of English football should be obvious for United’s rulers. Yet the allure remains, despite the cautionary tale already having played out. Porto sit atop Liga Portugal without having lost a game (16 wins and one draw). They have scored 34 goals while conceding just four times – a staggering record at the halfway mark of a season. The Dragons are through to the quarter final of the Taça de Portugal and are on track for automatic qualification from the Europa League group phase. In short, it has been an outstanding season for a coach in his first season in a new league. Though it is balanced by his previous campaign last year with Ajax, where the Dutch giants surrendered the title to PSV Eindhoven in a heart-breaking final weekend of the Eredivisie. But, overall, it’s simply not enough for Farioli to a serious contender to replace Amorim at Old Trafford. It would be too much, too soon, for a coach who should continue his progression in Portugal. Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Darragh Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.
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