Peter Schmeichel insists Ruben Amorim is a ‘great candidate’ for Man United but only on one condition as the former goalkeeper says his old club have ‘wasted so many years on not being very good’
- Ruben Amorim is the favorite to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United
- Manager Ten Hag was fired on Monday after 29 months at Old Trafford
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Peter Schmeichel thinks Ruben Amorim is a ‘great candidate’ to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager, but only if he is willing to start straight away.
United sacked Ten Hag on Monday morning, ending his 29-month reign at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils won the EFL Cup and FA Cup under the Dutchman, but finished 14 points behind champions Manchester City in his first season and then fell 31 points short in his second.
Since Ten Hag’s departure, Sporting Lisbon boss Amorim has become United’s first choice to fill their vacancy. But Amorim has also been mentioned as a strong candidate to replace Pep Guardiola at Man City next summer when the Spaniard’s current contract expires. City have already confirmed that Hugo Viana, who worked alongside Amorim at Sporting, will replace Txiki Begiristain as director of football at the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.
Amorim has been in charge of Sporting since March 2020. He has already won five trophies, including two league titles, while his side currently sit top of the Primeira Liga this season with 27 points from their opening nine games.
Ruben Amorim is the favorite to become Manchester United’s next permanent manager
Erik ten Hag was sacked by United on Monday after 29 months in charge at Old Trafford
Given how well Sporting are currently performing, some observers have suggested that Amorim may want to finish the current season in Portugal before moving elsewhere. But Schmeichel is convinced United cannot afford to wait.
Speaking on BBC Sport Monday night clubSchmeichel said: “He is doing fantastic, undefeated in the competition. I think it’s nine [wins] at nine. He has already beaten Benfica. He is doing very well in the Champions League and this new Champions League format really suits a football club like Sporting. The old format was a bit difficult for those types of clubs, but this is a golden opportunity to do it very, very well. And he has a very good team.
‘We’re talking [about] timing. Is he now going to leave Sporting Lisbon because it is Man United? Or will he stay until the end of the season? He is a great candidate, I am convinced of that. I am also convinced that because Hugo Viana has gone to Man City, this is part of a ploy to get him to replace Pep Guardiola. So it could just be a play.
‘But if he stays until the end of the season, he’s not a great candidate [for United]. This must be resolved now. It has to be now. We cannot have another period with an interim manager.
Amorim has been the manager of Sporting Lisbon since March 2020 and has won five trophies
Former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has urged Man United to quickly appoint a new manager
‘It has to happen now. We need to be able to stop what has happened so far this season and look to the future. We cannot sit and wait. We’ve wasted so many years by not being very good.
‘[United are] so far behind Man City, so far behind Arsenal and so far behind Liverpool. If you want to win the Premier League you have to match what they have and we are way behind. So we need to start this process now and not in the summer.’
Former goalkeeper Schmeichel spent eight seasons at Old Trafford during his playing career, making 398 first-team appearances. He later played for both Sporting and Man City before retiring in 2003.
