Why Ruben Amorim wasn’t on Man Utd’s initial shortlist of Erik ten Hag replacements

Ruben Amorim has been Manchester United’s head coach for the past 12 months, but the Portuguese tactician did not appear on the initial shortlist of candidates to succeed Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim has reached his first anniversary at Manchester United.

The Portuguese coach has overseen 22 wins and 21 defeats, but that didn’t stop Sir Jim Ratcliffe from publicly backing Amorim in a recent interview.

Amorim is viewed as a force for good at Carrington. His demeanour is admirable after such a challenging first 12 months in the job, especially when compared to Jose Mourinho, who looked defeated ahead of his final season at Old Trafford in 2018.

As things stand, United have won three consecutive Premier League games for the first time under Amorim. They hope to make four on the bounce when they take on Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.

United’s recent form has led to Amorim’s nomination for the Premier League Manager of the Month award.

Man Utd almost overlooked Ruben Amorim for manager role

United sacked Erik ten Hag last October following a poor start to the season.

Although Ineos extended Ten Hag’s contract by one year just months before his dismissal, it never felt like they were fully behind the Dutchman.

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It was even reported at the time that United chiefs had meetings with Thomas Tuchel, who has since become manager of the England national team.

According to The Athletic, Amorim was not among the initial six candidates who were shortlisted for the role. They included Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank, Marco Silva, Graham Potter and Tuchel.

The report explains that Amorim was not on the initial list because it was weighted towards Premier League experience and tactical systems.

That didn’t prevent Amorim from coming up in conversations with agents and players. Director of football Jason Wilcox was tipped that Amorim was considered football’s next great coach, along with Thiago Motta, who was about to join Juventus at the time.

Motta flopped at Juventus after doing a terrific job at Bologna, while Amorim has been given time to turn things around at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim must improve Man Utd’s away form

One of the biggest challenges facing Amorim is fixing United’s form away from home.

United are seeking only their second away win of the season when they travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.

That one win came when United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield two weeks ago.

Now is the time to continue winning matches on the road because United don’t play at home until 24 November.

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