“Next big thing in coaching”: How close United came to appointing 2-time CL winner as their new boss – report

INEOS have got both their permanent managerial appointments wrong since taking over Manchester United. They delayed the inevitable when it came to Erik ten Hag, choosing to keep the Dutchman at the helm despite a disastrous 23/24 Premier League season, due to the FA Cup triumph. They even backed the former Ajax coach to the hilt in the summer window, only to sack him a few months later. And fans already know what a mistake it was to bring in Ruben Amorim. But as per the reliable Andy Mitten, the co-owners had come mighty close to appointing a different head coach instead of the Portuguese tactician. Thiago Motta could have replaced Erik ten Hag Thiago Motta, fresh off his exploits with Bologna, was on United’s radar, with INEOS admirers of his ultra-attacking approach that had seen the Serie A side qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 60 years. The two-time Champions League-winning midfielder was widely touted as the “next big thing in coaching” due to his revolutionary 2-7-2 attacking system. However, United eventually opted to bring in Amorim, while Juventus won the race for the former Italy international. Safe to say, both teams failed with their respective experiments. “People didn’t know that Thiago Motta for example, before Ruben Amorim got the job, was being put forward to Manchester United as the next big thing in coaching.” Mitten revealed on the Talk of the Devils podcast. Thiago Motta was considered the next big thing in coaching “No-one knew this was going on at the time. Nobody got any wind of this. Manchester United took him really, really seriously. “Ruben Amorim wasn’t even in the first batch of hopefuls; he came as an outside, an outlier, but there are also the big names, the obvious ones, your big hitters, your star quality. “The proven Champions League, the people who do give big value in the press conferences cause they’re so sure of themselves that they’re not afraid to say exactly what they think, for better or for worse.” Juventus sacked Thiago Motta, as did United with Amorim. Michael Carrick is currently at the helm as caretaker head coach until the end of the season. INEOS cannot afford to get the next managerial decision wrong His chances of being named as the permanent boss were looking bright until the Newcastle debacle. Following the defeat, three new managerial targets have emerged, including former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi. INEOS cannot afford to get the next decision wrong. United’s fate rests in their hands. 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 Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25