Sporting Lisbon's Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim was observed during the Portuguese League football match between FC Famalicao and Sporting CP at the 22 de Junho municipal stadium in Vila Nova de Famalicao on Saturday.

Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim has swiftly risen as the top candidate to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager after Ten Hag's dismissal. Multiple reports on Tuesday indicate that United are in discussions with the 39-year-old Portuguese coach following Ten Hag's removal on Monday, which came after a poor start to the season. Additionally, Brentford's Thomas Frank and Fulham's Marco Silva are reportedly under consideration.

United terminated Dutchman Ten Hag's two-year tenure on Monday, following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham that left the financially robust club in 14th place in the Premier League. Despite significant spending in the summer transfer window, United has only won one of their last eight matches across all competitions. Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been appointed as interim boss.

According to various British media reports, United is keen on Amorim, who is regarded as one of Europe's premier young coaches. Sky Sports reported that United has already engaged in talks with Amorim. Amorim was previously linked with the Liverpool manager's position after Jurgen Klopp's departure this year, but Dutch coach Arne Slot was chosen instead.

Ten Hag's position, aged 54, had been frequently questioned after United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe retained him following an internal review at the end of last season. The club finished eighth in the league but won the FA Cup with a surprise victory over Manchester City. However, United has shown minimal improvement this season.

British media were critical of Ten Hag on Tuesday, highlighting his teams' apparent disorganization despite his frequent mention of having a 'plan.' The BBC stated, 'United have once again concluded that they have the wrong man leading their team, and a major reason for that is that Ten Hag's 'plan' was never in evidence.' The Times attributed blame to Ratcliffe, the British billionaire who took a stake in United in February, promising to revitalize the club, which hasn't won the Premier League title since 2013.

Ten Hag, who joined United in May 2022, had vigorously defended his record in recent weeks, arguing he deserved respect for winning two trophies in his two full seasons. United ended a six-year trophy drought by defeating Newcastle in the 2023 League Cup final. The Red Devils also reached the FA Cup final and finished third in the Premier League in Ten Hag's promising debut season. However, his second season saw a decline.

Injuries to key players, the lack of impact from expensive signings like Brazilian forward Antony, and Ten Hag's failure to establish a clear playing style led to humiliating results. United was eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage and suffered multiple defeats at Old Trafford during the 2023/2024 campaign. The implementation of a new sporting structure at United, led by Ratcliffe, saw extensive changes off the field. However, Ten Hag's surprise victory over Pep Guardiola's City in the FA Cup final granted him a reprieve.

He received further support in the transfer market with the acquisitions of Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui, bringing the total spent under his reign to over £600 million ($778 million), nearly half of which was invested in former Ajax players. Yet, early optimism this season faded as Liverpool and Tottenham secured 3-0 wins at Old Trafford in September.

Former United captain Gary Neville stated that Ten Hag paid the price for an 'unacceptable' league position. Former United defender Rio Ferdinand compared Ten Hag to 'a boxer getting hit and knocked down in the third round and never recovering and getting knocked out.' In reality, Ten Hag managed only a brief period of United's broader decline since legendary former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Five managers have since come and gone.

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