Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly unimpressed with Erik ten Hag’s short list of successors. Ruben Amorim is celebrating his first anniversary at Old Trafford and is finally finding success as the club’s head coach. His appointment from Sporting was overseen by Dan Ashworth, Omar Berada and Jason Wilcox. Former Newcastle United manager Ashworth abruptly left the club shortly after Amorim’s arrival.
Despite coming under intense scrutiny last season and this season, Amorim has managed to overcome some tough times and lead United to three successive wins and within reach of the top four. However, The Guardian reports that things could have turned out differently. A directorial shortlist is said to have been drawn up, featuring Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Thomas Frank.
The report also suggests that rumors about Gareth Southgate potentially taking over at Old Trafford have been dismissed by United insiders.
The former England manager has recently been linked with a potential replacement for Amorim, similar to Howe at Newcastle.
Mr Ratcliffe relied on Mr Ashworth to provide a definitive list of possible successors, and it is claimed that he found the shortlist to be “unattractive”.
Nevertheless, the report shows that Ten Hag’s struggles and the search for his replacement have led to revelations from United’s leaders that Ashworth is not the person they want to steer the club’s future.
The former Newcastle sporting director reportedly objected to the bold move and proposed a Premier League name before United decided on Amorim.
The 40-year-old’s position has come under increased scrutiny following defeat in the Europa League and a disappointing start to the Premier League, as well as a surprising loss to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup.
Still, the company’s performance has improved, and the results come just weeks after Mr. Ratcliffe backed Mr. Amorim and publicly denied claims that he was facing a financial crisis.
“He hasn’t had the best season,” he told the Business Podcast. “Ruben has three years to prove that he is a great manager and that’s what I have to do.
“Dear press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. They think it’s a light switch. They flip the switch and tomorrow everything will fall apart.”
“You can’t run a club like Manchester United by just having a knee-jerk reaction to journalists who abuse you every week.”
