The coach doesn’t have much to say. So of course there is excitement about who will be next. This week, website The Athletic published a lengthy analysis on why Manchester United are chasing Rúben Amorim, who has led Sporting to two league titles in Portugal. They pulled up numbers, trends and graphs. They stated that Amorim is a charismatic leader known for giving chances to young players, improving players and winning titles. “So was Ten Hag,” wrote one reader. And hit the nail on the head. The man on the white horse It is the process around the trainer that needs to change. United have tried a tactical visionary (Louis van Gaal), a winner’s skull (José Mourinho), a club hero (Ole Gunnar Solskjær), the “Godfather” of German football (Ralf Rangnick) and the architect behind Ajax’s great team (Erik ten Hag). No one has really struck a chord. FYKEN: Erik ten Hag never got things going at United. Photo: Luis Vieira / AP Now Amorim will be just around the corner, and he can be good. But on an island where the “manager” has traditionally had great power, it is easy to hope that one man will ride in on a white horse and save the club. Even where the coach is successful, there are good people behind the scenes. Which brings us to United’s co-owners, INEOS. The big farce It is INEOS that will actually repair United. The company bought a quarter of the shares in February, and took responsibility for the sporting operation. In came Jim Ratcliffe with his two lieutenants, Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, and a CV full of success in sports such as cycling and sailing. We expected a clear vision. Competence. Authority. Novel. ADLET: Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford sit at the top of the United hierarchy. Photo: AFP It was logical that they considered firing Ten Hag this summer, after United came in eighth place with a negative goal difference. But the way INEOS attacked the problem? Help and comfort. The best clubs find quick solutions without leaks to the press. INEOS contacted a long list of candidates behind Ten Hag’s back in the weeks before the FA Cup final against Manchester City. And the world got to know about it. The reports were everywhere. The British newspaper The Times wrote that INEOS had talks with Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank and Kieran McKenna. They rated Roberto De Zerbi. There were rumors about Gareth Southgate. But INEOS did not decide. The uncertainty spread. Before the final, a story came out in The Guardian newspaper that Ten Hag was finished regardless of the result. And then Ten Hag won the final with a defensive battle plan that was masterful, but which had little connection with the offensive style he is actually going to introduce. TRIUMPH: Bruno Fernandes and Erik ten Hag celebrate with the FA Cup trophy. Photo: Reuters Ten Hag suddenly seemed brilliant. What should INEOS do now? Evaluation. One week, two weeks, three weeks… And during the evaluation, Ratcliffe went to Monaco to meet another candidate, Thomas Tuchel. Only six weeks after the final did INEOS extend Ten Hag’s contract until the summer of 2026, apparently because they couldn’t find anyone else. Then they gave him five new players worth NOK 2.5 billion. Four months later they fired him, and a compensation of NOK 210 million. Nice job, INEOS. Under pressure This farce is now putting pressure on Ratcliffe’s management. The next coach will walk in the door with football success behind him. That is more than we can say about INEOS, who have also not been behind significant improvement in their other two clubs, French Nice and Swiss Lausanne-Sport. Right, INEOS has cut down on administrative costs at United. But where are the changes in the sporting process? United continue to suffer a sea of injuries. The recruitment has been limited to names Ten Hag already knows, or who are known by his agent, Kees Vos, or who other top teams are willing to sell. BOOM PURCHASE? Mason Mount has struggled with injuries and playing time since joining United. Photo: OLI SCARFF / AFP United’s coach needs help. Ten Hag seemed like a genius at Ajax, and Rangnick is now the manager of Austria, one of the EC’s most impressive teams. No manager is as hopeless as United make them out to be. But without fewer injuries and better signings, United will struggle, with or without Amorim. Time for an operation The management must change for United to change. This must now happen. During the spring, INEOS brought in three strategic heads in the form of Omar Berrada (managing director), Dan Ashworth (sports director) and Jason Wilcox (technical director). By all accounts, these three will take over the sporting operations. SPORTS DIRECTOR: Dan Ashworth Photo: NIKLAS HALLE’N / AFP Although it will be the new coach who will be grilled in front of the cameras, it is this trio who must really deliver. They have to meet the next coach. Sharpen recruitment. Remove the damage. “Open heart surgery,” as Rangnick called it. New start On paper this seemed all well and good. These are the types of appointments United have been lacking. And according to Ratcliffe, none of them had anything to do with the soap opera surrounding Ten Hag. All three began their roles on July 1, three days before Ten Hag’s contract was extended. It seems a little strange that three such important votes had no say in what United did in the summer when everyone knew they were soon to be hired. Let’s say that the Ten Hag saga was actually only handled by the INEOS gang on duty and that this trio is now taking over. If so, it’s a fresh start. Things can change. The next coach may actually have a good chance of success. If you support United, you almost have to believe it. If we’ve learned one thing, it’s that United can’t be fixed by one man alone. Published 31.10.2024, at 18.44
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