We're stopping at eight. Two caretakers and an interim. Another who turned his temporary spell into a lengthy reign underpinned by nostalgia and vibes. Four others—ranging from Sir Alex Ferguson's heir through two of the finest tactical minds of their generation and ultimately to Erik ten Hag—have tried on a permanent basis and failed. Manchester United is, categorically by this point, world soccer's largest sinking ship.
Ten Hag recently became the latest manager in the Old Trafford home dugout—which he actually pushed to switch to the away bench as one of his early demands—to meet his end. It wasn't for want of trying, but results don't lie and wacky performances turn sentiment. He had to go, decision overdue.
The Dutchman, who has since returned home, is the last Manchester United manager. His countryman Ruud van Nistelrooy has stepped in as the latest interim and, as officially confirmed Friday, Sporting CP's Rúben Amorim will begin his role as Manchester United's first permanent men's head coach Nov. 11, during the forthcoming international break.
Amorim's appointment indicates a changing of the guard and his title is significant. It's a first indicator that this time it could actually be different, because it is actually different. This is the final piece in the jigsaw of the club's new structure and the right role they've always wanted to live within it. The structure has been built by new part-owners INEOS and is now led day-to-day by personnel in the conversation for "best in class," in roles which are imperative to modern clubs maximizing their potential.
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United has been streets behind in that sense for years, Glazer family at fault. So for Omar Berrada, new CEO, sporting director Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox as technical director, this appointment marks a line in the sand and a brand new start. The timing is sub-optimal but Ten Hag's collection of domestic trophies and off-field issues—like an injury crisis up there with the worst of them—were mitigating factors for him keeping his job beyond the end of last season. He was handed a chance to work within the new structure to show his best self, but it was soon evident that he wasn't enough.
Ten Hag and managers before him had held onto a role with massive prestige, but it was a poisoned chalice. Manchester United manager became the hardest job in the game and that's why the job no longer exists. Jose Mourinho even once stated that finishing second in the Premier League with United was "one of the best jobs of his career" because "people don't know what's going on behind the scenes."
The problems Mourinho was eluding to began with the departures of Ferguson and David Gill in 2013 and were not coherently addressed until 2024, with the implemented new structure intent on raising standards and ending the cultural malaise that has consumed this once great club. To this point it's been an environment which habitually chews up high-reputation managers and players with the world at their feet (or not in some cases), only to spit them out with no remorse. Manchester United has been a talent vacuum even for the very best and it's come at great expense.
It's output has been endless tales of player and manager fall outs, rogue characters acting in their best interests and the power of the manager—because of the lack of authoritative support they've received down the years—evaporating. The club were crying out for discipline when Ten Hag took charge and then there was too much for the players that wanted it when Jadon Sancho directly called out his manager for thinking he'd under-applied himself in a training session. Ten Hag arguably never recovered because of the division his punishment caused.
He even had an employed Cristiano Ronaldo publish an infamous exposé on how far the United he knew had fallen in a Piers Morgan interview. He took out his wrath on Ten Hag because he was out of the team at the time and made to run more than he wanted to while in it, but pointed to issues around facilities which were neglected in his 12 years away which no manager should be considered responsible for, Ferguson, who oversaw everything in the day to day running of the club, aside. But he was long out of the picture by that point.
Ten Hag's intentions were always to raise the standards, as he'd say repeatedly in public, but he'd worked shorthanded for so long that he'd alienated most around him to a point of no return, even with the new structural support.
"He was trying to sort out the squad and fix leaks in the roof at the same time," Sir Jim Ratcliffe said of Ten Hag in August. The hangover of previous seasons and inarguable tactical shortcomings—or tactical shortcomings because of players unwilling to listen, you decide—were too much for Ten Hag to stay.
What Manchester United has done with its new series of appointments is take steps to support the person in charge of the team. To foster the right environment and minimize distractions elsewhere to allow the head coach to coach and coach only. It's on Amorim to get the best out of the collection of players at his disposal and imprint a tactical identity. Most are players massively criticized but have thrived in other environments. They wouldn't be at United otherwise.
Amorim has a better chance than anybody before him (across 11 years) to fix this ship before it sinks for good. Only time will tell if the changes made will finally alter the course, or if the erosion continues.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Manchester United Manager is Dead, Long Live the Head Coach.
