Zizou or Amorim? Who might succeed Ten Hag...

Earlier this year, Manchester United looked to be back after securing much-needed silverware under new manager Erik ten Hag. But now just a few months into the season, Ten Hag’s position is looking increasingly precarious.

According to the bookies, the Dutchman is the favourite to get the sack – even ahead of Paul Heckingbottom of winless Sheffield United. 

It’s not too surprising though considering just how badly United have started this season. Ten Hag’s team have lost more games (eight) than they’ve won (seven) in all competitions this season – and the majority of those wins were unconvincing at best.

Naturally, that’s led to the names of potential successors being floated around the press with Zinedine Zidane and Rúben Amorim two who have been highlighted in particular.

It’s hard to think of two more different managers the club could choose – something that is emblematic of a club suffering from a lack of a clear plan or a semblance of identity. Fans will be hoping that the potential minority acquisition by Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS may turn things around on that front.

@Getty / Denis Doyle

The exiled Jadon Sancho would certainly benefit from Zidane’s human touch with Ten Hag’s strict discipline now reportedly starting to become more of a hindrance than a benefit.

Zizou is also a manager who can get the best out of his team and play a direct, free-flowing kind of football that fans used to relish during the Alex Ferguson era.

There are two potential problems though. First, do United have a squad good enough to play Zidane’s more improvisational style and, most importantly, would he even want the job? The former Real Madrid is in no rush to jump into a new role and he may want to stay clear from a club currently in crisis.

On the other hand, Rúben Amorim is a very different prospect. The Sporting manager, who managed to end the club’s 19-year league title drought in the 2020/21 season, is still young at just 38 but his brand of football already has a very clear identity.

It’s rare to see Amorim ever stray from his favoured 3-4-3 formation in which every player knows their job exactly. Defensively, the former Benfica player’s teams are solid with Sporting having conceded fewer shots (9.1) than anyone in the Portuguese league this season.

But it’s hard to tell if would Amorim be able to convert that winning formula (Sporting are currently top of the Primeira Liga) to Old Trafford or if he would be given the chance. Amorim may need a complete squad rebuild to suit his football – something United have often tried over the years under different managers but never actually succeeded at. 

Someone like Amorim needs time to implement his system and ideas to a squad but, as Erik ten Hag is now experiencing, that isn’t always going to be available to a team desperate to return to the top.

Como desbloquear um nulo: A lição do ‘professor’ Trincão 👨‍🏫

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