Axe falls fast
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berardi, and the Old Trafford board have moved quickly to sack Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United.
internal rumblings about Amorim’s temperament
Despite sitting sixth in the English Premier League (EPL), a run of six games with one win and four draws, coupled with internal rumblings about Amorim’s temperament and questionable tactics, has seen the axe fall on Amorim on Monday.
Temperament was one of the reasons Chelsea, fifth in the EPL, sacked Enzo Maresca last week, but the out-of-work Italian is one of the betting favorites, according to Betfred at +200, to succeed Amorim.
Ex-Red Devils midfield stalwart Darren Fletcher, who has forged deep family connections at Old Trafford, is the favorite to replace Amorim in the short term. According to reports, Man U will appoint Fletcher to take the position on an interim basis “seemingly until the end of the season.”
The news led Betfred to give the Scotsman top odds of +150 to be the next United manager, albeit only until the summer. The UK sportsbook also includes some other familiar names to become the next manager in one of soccer’s hottest seats.
Trend to Deutsche?
According to some reports, Amorim’s emotions, particularly at press conferences like Sunday’s when he cast aspersions on Man U’s hierarchy and urged the franchise’s talent spotters to “do their job,” contributed to his downfall.
Temperament was also one of the main reasons why Chelsea showed Maresca the door despite winning last year’s Club World Cup, with his demise coming shortly after he complained to the press of his “worst 48 hours” at the London side.
Which is why, despite being Betfred’s second favorite to succeed Amorim, it is unlikely that Ratcliffe will consider another manager like Maresca, prone to emotional outbursts on national TV.
Those who would seamlessly fit into Old Trafford politics include Fletcher, ex-United midfield maestro Michael Carrick, and ex-England boss Gareth Southgate. Betfred has both at +1000 odds.
While Southgate protects his players and his employers from criticism, the rejuvenation of the English national team under German Thomas Tuchel and the success of German-speaking managers like Jurgen Klopp and Brighton’s Fabian Hürzeler makes Crystal Palace’s Austrian boss Oliver Glasner a frontrunner to fit the Old Trafford mold at +400.
What next?
The EPL managerial merry-go-round is in full swing. Leroy Rosenior is set to become Chelsea’s next manager, while the talented Nuno Espirito Santo is facing an unenviable task at currently toxic West Ham and could be tempted away.
For now, the UK media is talking about Glasner as a potential long-term United boss. His contract at the Eagles is set to expire in the summer, and he plays a similar system to Amorim’s 3-4-3.
