Not since the 1962/63 season under the legendary Matt Busby have Manchester United endured a worse start to a campaign, losing eight of their opening 15 matches across all competitions.
Back-to-back 3-0 defeats at Old Trafford has piled the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag and despite a decent first season in charge, all that progress has been wiped out after their woeful beginning to 2023/24.
Having secured United’s first trophy for six years by winning the EFL Cup last term, along with qualifying for the Champions League, some may have felt that the Dutchman was the true heir apparent to Sir Alex Ferguson, and it was a matter of when, not if, the Old Trafford side could finally return to the summit of English football.
Things started to unravel during the summer transfer window, as the ex-Ajax tactician's business that was conducted was not exactly what was required to take United to the next level, on the current evidence.
Andre Onana arrived from Inter Milan and took over from David de Gea, who left after his contract expired over the summer, while Mason Mount cost the club around £60m from Chelsea, yet he had just a year left on his contract at the Blues.
Combine these poor transfers with the performances on the pitch and it is evident the former Ajax boss is in a sticky situation, one that will need remedying as soon as possible.
He is now feeling the heat and only a win against Fulham on Saturday will be enough to ensure he has some respite in the coming days, yet this might not stop the rumour mill with regard to who could potentially replace him.
One name that has emerged as a potential successor to Ten Hag is current Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim.
Man Utd manager news – Ruben Amorim
According to the Times, the Red Devils have looked at candidates who could take over from Ten Hag should this dire run of form continue, and two names have emerged – Amorim and former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.
The Portuguese manager has done a stellar job at Sporting over the previous few seasons, and he recently dropped a hint regarding his future following their recent win over Farense.
He said: "This year, I'm not going to go back to the same conversation as last year. I'm not going to make any kind of comment on these situations.
"Regarding the future, I have an idea for the end of the season, but I won't say it now. But the results and the context take us to something different.
"I don't want to be commenting on these things. I have not been contacted by Manchester United."
These coy comments do give much away and it remains to be seen whether or not the Red Devils will make an official approach for his services.
Ruben Amorim’s managerial record
As a player, Amorim spent the vast majority of his career starring for Benfica, going on to make over 150 appearances for the club while winning three league titles along with a handful of domestic cups.
The former midfielder also earned 14 caps for his country and represented Portugal at two World Cups and this experience could only benefit him if he decided to make the move into management when he retired.
Indeed, he became manager of Casa Pia in 2018, yet took charge of just four games before moving on to SC Braga towards the end of 2019 across only 13 matches, he secured a points per game average of 2.38 while also defeating Porto in the League Cup final, winning a trophy in only his fifth game in charge of the club.
He defeated Sporting in the semifinals of the competition, and they were clearly impressed, going on to hire him during the 2019/20 campaign.
The club had not won a top-flight title since the 2001/02 season and given Benfica and Porto had dominated since then, it was not looking like they would break through this recent duopoly.
Under Amorim however, they made history. Sporting lost just one league match all term throughout 2020/21, and it came during their penultimate match with the title already secured. They ended up five points clear of Porto while also claiming the League Cup, and it returned the club to the summit after a nearly two-decade wait.
Ruben Amorim’s style of play
The 38-year-old has been hailed as a “special manager” in the past by journalist Zach Lowy, while he was lauded as “the most exciting young manager in Europe” by journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke before Sporting clashed with Manchester City in the Champions League last year, indicating how well revered he is already.
Indeed, Amorim led Sporting to victories over Tottenham Hotspur in Europe’s premier club competition last season while sending Arsenal packing from the Europa League at the last 16 stage, and it is clear that his presence may be feared should he move to England.
173
2.23
13
2.38
4
2.25
He prefers to use a 3-4-3 formation and with his teams scoring 386 goals across 190 matches, working out as just over two goals per game, he has a clear penchant for attacking football and this could endear him to the United faithful.
With players such as Antony, Marcus Rashford, and Rasmus Hojlund, Amorim would be blessed with some wonderful attacking players should he end up in Manchester and his style could bring out the best in them.
Under Ten Hag this season, the Red Devils have been mediocre at best and if this continues up until the festive season, change may be required at Old Trafford.
There are deeper problems at United, without a shadow of a doubt, but the current manager is failing to get a tune out of this squad of overpaid players, and they may not even qualify for Europe if they continue at their current rate.
Amorim has shown his capabilities both domestically and on the European stage with Sporting since taking over nearly four years ago and now is the perfect time to spread his wings and embrace a new challenge.
Therefore, the genius tactician could be a dream replacement for Ten Hag if the Red Devils do decide that they want to go in a new direction and part ways with the Dutchman over the coming weeks or months.
Perhaps the biggest of challenges – returning United to the top of the Premier League.
