Paul Merson claims Ruben Amorim 'would get knighted' if he achieves key target with Manchester United this season
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson reckons Ruben Amorim should be knighted if he guides Manchester United to a top-four finish in the Premier League this season. The Sporting CP boss is reportedly set to become the Red Devils' new manager after Erik ten Hag was sacked on October 28.
Ten Hag was shown the door earlier this week due to Manchester United's dismal start to the season. The Red Devils are currently languishing in 14th place with 11 points from nine games, having scored just eight goals and conceded 11. They are 12 points behind leaders Manchester City and seven points off fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Merson first gave his take on Amorim's impact at Sporting CP (via United in Focus):
“He’s done absolutely amazing at Sporting. I spoke to a cab driver last year who was a big Sporting fan and he was going mad about him, how great he was, and how he turned the club around."
"This is going to be different, with all due respect to Sporting. Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and this is where it all starts. They are not the biggest football team in the world but they are one of the biggest clubs."
He added:
“It will be different for him and there’s a lot of work to be done but he’s coming in with massive expectations after doing so well at Sporting. This is another five steps up from Sporting.”
Merson reckons even Pep Guardiola would struggle to reverse Manchester United's fortunes and that Amorim should be knighted if he succeeds:
“I think they have to beat Chelsea at the weekend to start with. I’d be surprised if they got top four. I think you can put Pep Guardiola in charge at Man United and even he would struggle to turn it around that much."
“It’s going to take time. They have to build and build and have a plan where, in three to four years’ time, Man Utd are back to where they should be, fighting for league titles. At the moment, if they got top four, Amorim has pulled up trees and would get knighted by our king!”
Manchester United are currently in negotiations with Sporting CP to finalize a deal for Amorim. As per Sky Sports, the Portuguese outfit are expected to receive €11 million for Amorim's exit clause. The 39-year-old is reportedly set to take over from interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy after the November international break.
“I mean, obviously he is a good manager!” - Diogo Dalot gives his verdict on Ruben Amorim following Manchester United's EFL Cup win against Leicester
Manchester United full-back Diogo Dalot has acknowledged that Ruben Amorim is a good manager amid the club's links with Sporting CP. His comments arrived after the Red Devils emphatically defeated Leicester City 5-2 in the EFL Cup Round of 16 at Old Trafford on Wednesday, October 30.
Following the game, Dalot was asked about Amorim, to which he did his best to provide a neutral response, saying (via United in Focus):
“I mean, obviously he is a good manager! We don’t know if he is coming or not. We see the rumours, like everybody, but we will just focus on doing our job. What the future brings, we will be ready.”
Amorim has established himself as one of the best young managers in Europe, with both Liverpool and West Ham United expressing interest in signing him last season.
After becoming Sporting CP's manager in 2020, Amorim ended their 19-year wait for a league title during the 2020-21 campaign. He has managed the club for 228 games across competitions, winning 161 games with a win percentage of 70.61. In addition, he has guided the Portuguese side to five major honors to date.