Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim could be the ideal replacement for under-fire Erik Ten Hag at Old Trafford
The Sporting Lisbon coach has carved out a splendid reputation.
It’s never a good sign when fans loudly boo their manager’s substitutions and Erik ten Hag has decided it’s time to go to the mattresses.
He was already feeling the heat following the narrow escape against Coventry when Manchester United blew a 3-0 lead and had to go to penalties to beat Championship also-rans Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
The Dutchman didn’t respond well to criticism, banning three media outlets from asking questions at a subsequent press conference and now he is going to great lengths to explain why his underachieving side is ‘one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league at this moment’.
That may be true for rival supporters loving the Red Devils’ struggles, which only got worse with a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Dismayed United supporters were not impressed when Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo were taken out of the action in the 65th minute and let Ten Hag feel their wrath.
United have taken just seven points from their last six league matches and even winning the FA Cup by beating Manchester City in next month’s Wembley showpiece may not be enough for the former Ajax coach to save his job.
After all, United sacked his fellow countryman Louis Van Gaal two days after they beat Crystal Palace in the 2016 cup final and although Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now at the helm it has been reported he’s drawn up a list of candidates to replace beleaguered Ten Hag in the summer.
England manager Gareth Southgate heads the betting at 7/2 with Paddy Power, Betfair and bet365 and may jump at the opportunity irrespective of how the Three Lions fare at the summer’s European Championship in Germany.
Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter is reputed to be high on Ratcliffe’s rankings and he’s 5/1 with Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Bet but after failing at Stamford Bridge and Bayern Munich it’s surely safe to rule Thomas Tuchel out of the equation.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is 11/1 with the same three firms and while former United midfielder and coach Michael Carrick, currently in charge at Middlesbrough, is an interesting option at 25/1 with several firms including Bet Victor it may be that highly regarded Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim is Ten Hag’s eventual successor. He’s as short as 10/1 with Paddy Power and Betfair but is big at 28/1 with Sky Bet.
• Leicester City can seal the Championship title by winning at Preston by more than one goal at 15/8 with Paddy Power and Bet Victor. Stephy Mavididi is 6/1 with SpreadEx to open the scoring and 2/1 with the same firm to do so at any time. A 2-0 Foxes win is 7/1 with Betway.
• Casper Ruud has been on top form on clay in the past few weeks and is each-way value at 14/1 with William Hill to win the Madrid Open. His next opponent is Cameron Norrie and Ruud is 17/20 with BetMGM to win in straight sets.
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