MANCHESTER UNITED were reportedly interested in hiring a maverick manager before appointing Ruben Amorim.
It’s been one year since the Portuguese tactician arrived at Old Trafford, with Amorim, 40, needing the full 12 months for his work to finally start paying off.
United finished 15th in the Premier League last season while also losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.
But after a major summer splurge, Amorim has guided United to three wins in their last four league matches.
And things are starting to look up as the eighth-place Red Devils prepare to face struggling Spurs on Saturday.
However, things could have turned out very differently had United moved for another gaffer.
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According to the Athletic, Old Trafford chiefs started making plans for a new boss after Erik ten Hag won the FA Cup in May 2024.
Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Tuchel, Thomas Frank, Marco Silva, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino emerged as the preferred six candidates, with United holding talks with each manager.
They ended up entering serious negotiations with Tuchel and De Zerbi before offering the latter a budget-friendly contract, which he ended up rejecting in favour of French club Marseille.
United then decided to stick with Ten Hag before sacking him several months later and replacing him with Amorim.
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The former Sporting Lisbon boss had not been included on United’s initial six-man shortlist due to his lack of Premier League experience.
He was recommended by several top club contacts at the time though, which eventually led to United’s left-field move following some brief contact.
But there was another exciting young gaffer the Red Devils were also urged to look at.
Inter Milan Treble winner Thiago Motta, 43, had just led Italian side Bologna to their highest-ever Serie A finish, resulting in Champions League qualification.
The former Barcelona and PSG title winner made headlines with his bold ‘2-7-2’ formation, which saw the goalkeeper treated like an extra outfield player.
And those in the know felt he was a perfect fit for United’s bold vision under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
However, Motta was also discarded due to his young age and lack of experience in English football.
He ended up joining Juventus in June 2024, spending £150million on new players in a major tactical and squad overhaul.
But Motta was sacked by the Turin giants after just nine months after heavy successive defeats following Juve’s Champions League exit.
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He was replaced by Igor Tudor, who himself was fired last month and replaced by Luciano Spalletti.
And Motta is yet to find a way back into the beautiful game as Amorim continues to blossom at Old Trafford.
Thiago Motta’s managerial record
- Genoa, Oct 2019-Dec 2019: P10 W2 D3 L5
- Spezia, July 2021-June 2022: P40 W11 D6 L23
- Bologna, Sept 2022-May 2024: P76 W35 D24 L17
- Juventus, July 2024-Mar 2025: P42 W18 D17 L7
