Ruben Amorim said Tuesday that “nothing is decided yet” after Manchester United made the Sporting Lisbon coach their top target to replace sacked manager Erik ten Hag. United pulled the plug on Ten Hag’s two-year reign on Monday after a 2-1 defeat by West Ham left one of the world’s wealthiest clubs 14th in the Premier League. Amorim quickly emerged as the leading contender to replace the Dutchman and a statement issued by Sporting to the Lisbon stock exchange said United were willing to meet his 10 million euro (8.3 million pounds, $10.8 million) release clause.

The 39-year-old was guarded when asked after Sporting’s League Cup win against Nacional on Tuesday night if that was his last match with the Portuguese club.

“Nobody knows whether this was my farewell match. Nothing is decided yet,” the Portuguese coach said, reported by sports daily A Bola.

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 United appear to be concentrating 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.

Amorim had dismissed the speculation when quizzed on Monday ahead of the League Cup match.

“I’m not going to talk about my future,” he said. “I’m very proud to be the coach of Sporting Lisbon.”

‘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. 

“Thirty-nine 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.”

Amorim was linked with the manager’s role at Liverpool following the departure of Jurgen 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, who made overtures to other managers, 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 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.

However, in his second season, injuries to key players, the lack of impact from expensive signings such as Brazilian 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.

Ten Hag was backed in the transfer market, spending more than 600 million pounds ($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.

Speaking post-match on Sunday to preview United’s League Cup tie against Leicester on Wednesday, Ten Hag indicated he thought winning a trophy in his third season would make it a success.

“Definitely, it’s about trophies,” he replied in comments which were embargoed until Tuesday. 

“If you win a trophy in pro football, that is most important because that is what the fans expect and what we expect, to win a trophy.”

Sporting Lisbon confirmed on Tuesday Manchester United’s interest in signing up their Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim after the English giants sacked Erik Ten Hag. 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. Amorim, 39, quickly emerged as the leading contender to replace Ten Hag following the Red Devils’ woeful start to the season. And a statement issued by Portuguese club Sporting to the Lisbon stock exchange revealed United’s willingness to meet his 10 million euro (£8.3 million, $10.8 million) release clause.

“Manchester United have expressed their interest in recruiting coach Ruben Amorim and have said they are ready to pay the 10 million euro release clause,” Sporting said.

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 United appear to be concentrating 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.

Amorim dismissed the speculation when quizzed on Monday on the eve of Sporting’s League Cup match against Nacional.

“I’m not going to talk about my future,” he said. “I’m very proud to be the coach of Sporting Lisbon.”

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 he 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, who made overtures to other managers, 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 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.

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.

Ten Hag was backed in the transfer market, spending 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.

Speaking post-match on Sunday to preview United’s League Cup tie against Leicester on Wednesday, Ten Hag indicated he thought winning a trophy in his third season would make it a success.

“Definitely, it’s about trophies,” he replied in comments which were embargoed until Tuesday. “If you win a trophy in pro football, that is most important because that is what the fans expect and what we expect, to win a trophy.”

He added United had to use their poor start as motivation for the rest of the season, saying: “Now we have to find the fuel from setbacks and disappointments.”

Manchester United are reportedly in talks with Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim to become their next manager after sacking Erik ten Hag on Monday following a disastrous start to the season. Time finally ran out for Dutchman Ten Hag with United sitting a lowly 14th in the Premier League table after they suffered a fourth defeat in nine league games at West Ham on Sunday. Despite substantial dealings in the transfer market before this season, one of the world’s wealthiest clubs have won only one of their last eight games in all competitions.

Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, a member of Ten Hag’s coaching staff, was named interim boss.

According to multiple British media reports, United want to turn to Amorim, the 39-year-old Sporting Lisbon manager who is considered one of Europe’s leading young coaches.

Sky Sports reported United had held discussions with Amorim and are prepared to pay his release clause.

Amorim was linked with the manager’s role at Liverpool following the departure of Jurgen 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.

Ten Hag was even rewarded with a one-year contract extension to June 2026.

But United have shown little improvement this season and the 2-1 loss at West Ham was the final straw.

A club statement said: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.”

Defended his record

United said Van Nistelrooy would take over on a temporary basis.

Former Ajax coach Ten Hag, who joined United in May 2022, had fiercely defended his record in recent weeks after winning two trophies in his two full seasons in charge.

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, the wheels came off in his second season as injuries to key players, the lack of a meaningful impact from expensive signings like Brazilian forward Antony and Ten Hag’s failure to implement a clear playing style led to a number of embarrassing results.

United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage, while Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham were among the other teams to win at Old Trafford in the 2023/2024 campaign.

The implementation of a new sporting structure at United, spearheaded by Ratcliffe, saw widespread change over recent months 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 further backed in the transfer market with the signings of Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, taking the total spent in his reign to over 600 million pounds ($778 million), nearly half of which went on former Ajax players.

Yet early hope this season evaporated as Liverpool and Tottenham coasted to 3-0 wins at Old Trafford in September.

‘Unacceptable’

Former United captain Gary Neville said Ten Hag had paid the price for an “unacceptable” league position.

“The big shock for me is how bad they’ve been with the new signings that have come in,” Neville told Sky Sports.

He added: “The fact that they are 14th is unacceptable. You can’t be in 14th after nine or 10 games with the level of spend that’s occurred without being under significant pressure — and that’s what’s happened.”

Ex-England striker Alan Shearer said Ten Hag had been “a dead man walking” as soon as it was revealed United had talked to other potential managers in the summer.

For all Ten Hag’s faults, he oversaw just a small period of United’s more general decline since legendary former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Since the Scot’s departure, five permanent managers have now been dismissed without United even challenging for the Premier League title — a trophy they won 13 times under Ferguson.

File photo of Erik Ten Hag© AFP

Erik ten Hag pleaded to be given until the end of the season as Manchester United boss after needing a late Harry Maguire equaliser to salvage a 3-3 draw at Porto in the Europa League on Thursday. Ten Hag was under major pressure before the trip to Portugal after just two wins from United’s first six Premier League fixtures of the season left them languishing in 13th place in the table. The Red Devils have also drawn their opening two Europa League games to sit 21st in the 36-team table.

“We will get there, don’t judge us in this moment,” said Ten Hag.

“Judge us in the end of the season. We will improve, we have two seasons where we achieved finals. Just wait, we will develop and progress this team.”

Ten Hag has fiercely defended his record after winning the League Cup and FA Cup in his first two seasons in charge at Old Trafford — ending United’s six-year trophy drought in the process.

A shock victory over Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup final was widely credited with saving his job despite finishing eighth in the Premier League.

But the United hierarchy could be forced to act in the upcoming international break after they travel to face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

Ten Hag could not have asked for a better start in Porto as goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund put United 2-0 up inside 20 minutes

However, the English giants have failed to win any of their last four away European games despite scoring three times in each of them.

Last season they crashed out of the Champions League at the group stages after losing 4-3 at Bayern Munich and FC Copenhagen plus a 3-3 draw at Galatasaray.

Another six-goal thriller took place at the Estadio do Dragao as Pepe and Samu Omorodion brought Porto level before half-time.

Omorodion smashed the home side in front early in the second half before United captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off for the second consecutive game.

But Maguire’s header from a corner at least salvaged a point for Ten Hag.

“When you get 2-0 away from home you have to be a little bit more solid and there were far too many gaps,” said Maguire.

“Too many crosses were coming into the box for sure and they ultimately punished us for it.”

The England international has lost his regular starting spot in the side to Matthijs de Ligt, who previously worked under Ten Hag at Ajax.

Maguire said the pressure his manager was facing is what comes with the “privilege” of being in the spotlight at one of the world’s biggest clubs.

“I’ve played for this club for six years, I know how it works. When you go on a bad spell players come under pressure and also the manager does,” added Maguire.

“He’s experienced enough and been at this club long enough so I’m sure he knows how to deal with it. It’s part of the privilege you have playing for this club.”

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.© AFP

Manchester United gave manager Erik ten Hag some breathing space with a 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday thanks to goals from Matthijs de Ligt, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho. However, United had to ride out an early Southampton storm and the outcome could have been vastly different had Andre Onana not saved Cameron Archer’s penalty at 0-0. De Ligt’s first United goal and Rashford’s first for six months quickly flipped momentum in the visitors’ favour just before half-time. Southampton’s woes were compounded when captain Jack Stephens was sent-off 11 minutes from time for a wild challenge on Garnacho, who rounded off the scoring in stoppage time.

Saints remain without a point from four games on their return to the Premier League, while United’s second win of the season lifts them up to eighth.

Ten Hag began the campaign already under scrutiny after surviving an internal review of his position in May following an eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season.

Back-to-back defeats before the international break to Brighton and Liverpool had ramped up the pressure even more on the Dutchman and the Red Devils had to ride their luck early on at St. Mary’s.

Ten Hag dropped Casemiro to the bench after his nightmare showing in the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool, but new signing Manuel Ugarte also had to wait for his debut as a second-half substitute.

United still struggled to control midfield in the opening quarter and were indebted to Onana’s penalty save as a turning point in the game.

A failure to make the most of some promising build-up play has been the story of Southampton’s their return to the top flight.

Teenager Tyler Dibling caught the eye on his first Premier League start and his trickery lured Diogo Dalot into a rash challenge inside the area.

But Archer’s spot-kick lacked conviction and Onana parried his attempt before easily clutching the striker’s follow-up header at the second attempt.

Just two minutes later, United led as De Ligt put a difficult week with the Dutch national team behind him to open his account.

The former Bayern Munich centre-back was subbed off at half-time by Ronald Koeman after errors that led to two German goals in a 2-2 Nations League draw in Amsterdam.

De Ligt rose to fame at Ajax under Ten Hag, who was rewarded for his faith in the 25-year-old after starting him ahead of Harry Maguire.

A short corner caught Southampton napping and Bruno Fernandes’ cross perfectly picked out De Ligt to head into the bottom corner.

Saints brought in Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal on the final day of the transfer window to boost their chances of survival and the England goalkeeper did at least keep the score down.

Rashford’s much-needed goal was momentarily delayed by a fine Ramsdale save at his near post.

However, Rashford’s wait since March to get on the scoresheet came to an end on 41 minutes when his low strike from outside the box curled into the far corner.

Ramsdale denied De Ligt a second before half-time as United threatened to run riot.

But the second period was far more sedate as the visitors comfortably held Southampton at bay before the home side’s frustration bubbled over.

Stephens’ unneccessary lunge caught Garnacho on the knee and was rightly punished with a straight red card.

The Argentine then rubbed salt in Southampton wounds with a thumping finish from Dalot’s cross in the 96th minute.

Man City vs Man United Highlights: City win 7-6 on penalties© AFP

File picture of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag holding the FA Cup trophy after his side defeated Manchester City in the final on May 25, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Erik ten Hag has signed a new contract with Manchester United to extend his stay at Old Trafford until 2026, the Premier League club said on Thursday as the Dutchman gets another chance to restore the record 20-times champions to former glories.

There had been speculation he would be sacked after United ended eighth last season — their lowest ever finish in the Premier League — and with British billionaire and INEOS chairman Jim Ratcliffe taking charge of football operations.

A shock victory over champions Manchester City in the FA Cup final, however, earned the 54-year-old Ten Hag a lifeline,

“Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined,” he said in a statement.

“We must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles.

“In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are strongly committed to making that journey together.”

Ten Hag’s contract had been set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season but denying Manchester City a domestic double and qualifying for the Europa League earned him another chance.

“With two trophies in the past two seasons, Erik has reinforced his record as one of the most consistently successful coaches in European football,” the club’s Sporting Director Dan Ashworth said in a statement.

“While the club’s review of last season highlighted areas of improvement, it also reached a clear conclusion that Erik was the best partner for us to work with in driving up standards and outcomes.

“This group of players and staff have already shown they are capable of competing at the top level; now they have to do it more consistently.”

Despite winning two trophies, results and performances have fallen away dramatically despite more than 400 million pounds being spent on new players since Ten Hag took charge.

United struggled early in his first season, but Ten Hag instilled a sense of togetherness that had been missing since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

They enjoyed a nine-match winning run in all competitions, lifting the League Cup and finishing third in the Premier League.

The second season was much worse but United’s fan base largely stayed loyal to Ten Hag and sung his name loudly at Wembley in the Cup final as their team produced the best performance of his spell in charge.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag hopes to bolster his chances of avoiding the sack by ruining Manchester City’s history bid in the FA Cup final on Saturday. For the second successive season, Wembley will stage a Manchester derby in the showpiece fixture. Last year, City beat United 2-1 in the final on route to an incredible treble-winning campaign that included Premier League and Champions League glory. City remain England’s pre-eminent force, as they showed by clinching an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title last weekend.

United left Wembley still optimistic about the future despite that defeat 12 months ago because Ten Hag had ended their six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup earlier in the season.

But the Red Devils return to north London shaken by a turbulent campaign that leaves the Dutchman fighting to save his job.

United finished eighth in the Premier League — their lowest final position since 1990 — and failed even to make it out of the Champions League group stage.

Ten Hag has blamed United’s woes on injuries, but that might not convince the club’s new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe to keep faith with him.

The Dutch coach reportedly caused friction among his squad after clashing with Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, setting the tone for a series of embarrassing defeats against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Fulham, Copenhagen and Galatasaray among others.

United only made it to the FA Cup final after blowing a three-goal lead and surviving a penalty shootout against second- tier Coventry in a semi-final that underlined the flaws in Ten Hag’s erratic team.

England boss Gareth Southgate, former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino and Ipswich chief Kieran McKenna have all been linked with the Old Trafford job.

Ten Hag’s hopes of staying at United into a third season would be improved if they can spoil City’s bid to become the first English club to win both the Premier League and FA Cup two years in a row.

“I came here to win trophies,” Ten Hag said. “I’m just focusing on the job I have to do. That is first to win the game on Saturday and then keep going in the project.”

‘Fight until the end’

Beaten in six of the past seven Manchester derbies, United must lift the Cup for the first time in eight years to avoid their first season without European action since 2014/15.

A Europa League place is hardly the prize United fans dream of, but Andre Onana, the club’s goalkeeper, wants to repay their support with victory at Wembley.

Onana, who has endured an error-strewn first campaign at United, said: “It’s been a difficult season for them and for us.

“For me, it was difficult at the start and they were behind me so I’m very thankful. Let’s end on Saturday at Wembley. We will fight until the end.”

City’s dominant reign in the Premier League has extended to six titles in seven years, a dynastic spell that has led many pundits label them the greatest English team of all time.

Pep Guardiola’s men pipped Arsenal by two points after winning their last nine league games, leaving them on the brink of more history at Wembley this weekend.

“To do what we’ve done year in, year out, I don’t think many teams would be able to do that, especially in this Premier League,” City captain Kyle Walker said as he contemplated a potential second successive double.

Walker believes Guardiola’s drive and intensity are central to City’s seemingly unquenchable thirst for success.

“I think it starts from the manager, first and foremost. He’s addicted to winning. He is addicted and it rubs off on us,” he said.

Ominously for United, City playmaker Bernardo Silva said his side, who have won the FA Cup twice in the Guardiola era, are at their best when the stakes are highest.

“Sometimes at the beginning of the season when we don’t have that much pressure, the team relaxes when it shouldn’t and at the end of the season we always compensate for it,” he said.