Amorim has to manage as well as coach says Collymore. Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim should soon be confirmed as the new Man United manager, and Stan Collymore has suggested what he needs to do to be a success at Old Trafford from the get go.
The Portuguese, once his appointment has been made official, has a job and a half on his hands to bring the Red Devils back from the brink.
Six managers since Sir Alex Ferguson have all tried and failed to deliver consistent success, and though Erik ten Hag won two trophies, it was clear that he was never the right fit for the job.
With United now down in 14th place, on 11 points and with just three wins, the size of the task awaiting Amorim is massive.
Ruben Amorim has to be a manager first says Collymore
That it’s their ‘noisy neighbours’ Man City that currently sit top of the Premier League and are some 12 points ahead of them after just nine games will really stick in the craw.
Collymore believes that he knows what Amorim needs to do to be a success.
“INEOS get a one or two out of 10 for not getting rid of Erik ten Hag last June, but 10 out of 10 for actually doing it when it needed to be done – ie right now,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.
“I think that most people thought that when he got the contract extension, that meant that ten Hag would get till the end of the season. That INEOS would then basically look at the situation and make a decision based on that.
“But the results and performance are more important. They’ve been so poor that making the decision now was absolutely the right thing to do.
“In terms of Ruben Amorim taking over, he’s a guy that is well respected and well regarded as a coach, has a very defined way of playing, like Klopp, Slot and Pep.
“My theory is that we’re getting back to the days of an old fashioned manager. Not just a head coach that gets out on the training pitch but someone who manages people.
“Erik ten Hag had the ability to coach but he wasn’t a manager. You could tell he didn’t have the respect or the charisma or the character to get people along the journey with him. He massively and painfully lacked that, to the point that at times you thought to yourself, is he deluded?
“What Manchester United need now is a manager. Unai Emery is a classic example. People say he’s a really good coach and he’s got a defined style of play which he absolutely has, but you look at him and the way that the players talk about him.
“If Amorim is going to be successful, he has to gravitate back towards a situation that worked for over 100 years in association football; be a manager that has coaching ability. Be a man that has the belief, the spirit, the soul, the character and the personality to bring your players along with you, every step of the way.
“Let’s see what he’s got.”
