While INEOS continue to back the under-fire Manchester United manager, the sounds of the whispers around Carrington must be deafening for Ruben Amorim.
The Portuguese manager was only appointed less than a year ago, and amidst similar circumstances, but many believe that the writing is already on the wall.
Once again, the Red Devils began their campaign with a shred of hope for a long-awaited revival, especially following a positive pre-season and exciting new arrivals. But after losing three of their first six EPL contests, and suffering a humiliating Carabao Cup elimination in Grimsby, maintaining optimism is becoming an increasingly daunting task.
What should Man Utd look for if they sack Ruben Amorim?
In recent days, numerous names have been brought forward by the media as potential replacements for Amorim.
At this stage, most sources agree that the management is not actively pursuing any candidate, preferring to give the incumbent boss the opportunity to turn things around.
Therefore, the time to discuss the identity of Amorim’s successor has yet to come, but setting some basic standards wouldn’t hurt.
So here are three attributes that INEOS must prioritise if they ever sack the former Sporting CP head coach and start searching for a replacement.
Tactical flexibility
We begin by addressing the elephant in the room. Most fans and observers would agree that the bulk of the Man Utd squad is much more suited to play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, than the 3-4-2-1 system that Amorim worships, and the summer transfer campaign has done little to change that.
The majority of Man Utd fans these days complain about Bruno Fernandes playing too deep, Amad Diallo being lost in the shuffle and, at times, forced to act as a wingback, and Kobbie Mainoo not playing anywhere.
Therefore, most United supporters want less ‘philosophy’ and more pragmatism from the next manager.
Premier League experience
While this attribute might be less significant compared to the previous, it remains a factor to consider, as we’ve seen Amorim and his staff looking baffled at times, as if they had been expecting a different approach from the opposition. For instance, the Reds allowed Brentford to harry them on counter-attacks the last time out, as they kept falling into the same trap.
The Portuguese boss has recently admitted that the Premier League is on a different level, so coping with its magnitude has been quite a challenge for him personally.
Mental Solidity
During the infamous defeat to Grimsby, Amorim looked like a frightened individual who realised he had no control whatsoever over his surroundings. The manager spent the entire penalty shootouts (which lasted for more than 15 minutes), attached to his seat, too scared to even raise his head and watch the action unfold.
The manager’s penalty phobia is also on display every time one of his players prepares to shoot from 12 yards. While Bruno’s mediocre record has done little to ease the coach’s fears, it still isn’t a great look for a Man United manager, and it hardly inspires confidence for the already-shaky players.
Amorim has recently been described as a ‘lonely’, ‘broken’ man by Carrington insiders, as the young Portuguese boss who charmed the nation with his easy smile and oozing confidence upon his arrival is long gone.
Therefore, the next Man Utd manager, whoever that may be, should be a battle-tested coach who has already endured and overcome challenging times in the past that have prepared him for the inevitable storms on the Red half of Manchester.
