Manchester United target Amorim after axing Ten Hag

Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim. [AFP]

Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim has quickly emerged as the leading contender to take over as Manchester United manager after Erik ten Hag was sacked.

According to reports on Tuesday, United are in talks with the 39-year-old Portuguese coach after Ten Hag was dismissed on Monday following a disastrous start to the season.

However, United are also reportedly considering Brentford's manager Thomas Frank and Fulham boss Marco Silva.

United pulled the plug on Dutchman Ten Hag's two-year reign on Monday after a 2-1 defeat by West Ham the previous day left one of the world's wealthiest clubs 14th in the Premier League.

Despite spending heavily in the transfer market in the summer, United have won one of their last eight games in all competitions.

Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been named interim boss but according to media reports, United are focusing on Amorim, who is considered one of Europe's leading young coaches.

He has won two Portuguese titles with Sporting since joining the club in March 2020.

Sky Sports reported United had already held discussions with Amorim.

But he dismissed speculation about his position by saying: "I won't talk about my future. I am very proud to be Sporting Lisbon coach."

- 'Incredible football' -

Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler, a young manager already making his way in the Premier League, was asked Tuesday what advice he'd give Amorim should he leave Portugal for Old Trafford.

"39 and he's eight years older than me," said Hurzeler. "He's already achieved great things in Portugal. I've seen some games of him, he plays incredible football.

"I'm not in a position to give him advice, if needs advice he can probably ask Pep (Guardiola) or Jurgen Klopp."

Amorim was linked with the manager's role at Liverpool following the departure of Klopp this year, but Dutch coach Arne Slot headed to Anfield instead.

The position of Ten Hag, 54, had been repeatedly called into question after United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe retained him following an internal review at the end of last season when the club finished eighth in the league but won the FA Cup with a shock victory over Manchester City.

But United, who last won the Premier League in 2013, have shown little improvement this season.

The British media were damning on Tuesday about Ten Hag, who repeatedly talked about having a "plan" only for his teams to appear badly organised.

The Times said blame should fall on Ratcliffe, the British billionaire who took a stake in United in February and promised to rejuvenate a club that has not won the Premier League title since 2013.

"How could (Ten Hag) command the respect of his players when it was an open secret that the club had spoken with five or six candidates about the possibility of replacing him?" the newspaper asked.

The former Ajax coach, who joined United in May 2022, had fiercely defended his record, arguing he deserved respect for winning two trophies in his two full seasons.

United ended a six-year wait for silverware by beating Newcastle in the 2023 League Cup final.

The Red Devils also reached the FA Cup final and finished third in the Premier League in an encouraging debut season for Ten Hag.

However, in his second season, injuries to key players, the lack of impact from expensive signings like Brazilian forward Antony and Ten Hag's failure to implement a clear playing style put him on the road to failure.

United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage and suffered a string of defeats at Old Trafford last season.

A new sporting structure at United, spearheaded by Ratcliffe, saw widespread change off the field but Ten Hag's surprise victory over Pep Guardiola's City in the FA Cup final led to him receiving a stay of execution.

He was backed in the transfer market with the signings of Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, taking his total spending to over £600 million ($778 million), nearly half of which went on former Ajax players.

Yet early hope this season evaporated as Liverpool and Tottenham both won with ease at Old Trafford in September.

In truth, Ten Hag oversaw just a small period of United's more general decline since legendary former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 after the club were crowned champions of England for a record 20th time.

Five full-time managers have come and gone since then.