Man Utd's Ruben Amorim problem highlights brilliance of Liverpool's Arne Slot move

Manchester United has a new manager – well, not quite yet, but Ruben Amorim is on his way to Old Trafford.

The Sporting CP boss and one-time favorite to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool has been confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor. He won’t officially start in his new role until November 11 though, with his first game pencilled in for November 24 against Ipswich.

United has reached its decision quickly after firing Ten Hag on Monday, although the Reds’ rivals did drag that original call for far longer than they should have.

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It was clear to everyone looking in at Old Trafford that Ten Hag should have departed much earlier. To not only stick by him on the basis of an FA Cup win, despite leading United to their worst Premier League finish, but also hand him a new contract was a quite staggering decision, especially now he’s gone just a few months later.

There’s no doubt they have finally landed at the right call, and Amorim does look to be an interesting hire, but by waiting so long to get rid of Ten Hag in the first place, United has only served to stack the odds against their new manager.

He takes charge of a side languishing in 14th in the Premier League, with a squad filled with Ten Hag’s players who have shown little to no positive signs. What’s more, by taking over during the international break, many of his bigger names will be away, leaving him with such little time to get his ideas across.

Once again, it’s an example of how not to run a football club from United. Compare that to Arne Slot’s appointment, and Liverpool’s handling of Klopp’s departure is looking better by the day.

Klopp obviously left Liverpool plenty of time to find his successor, but there didn’t seem to be any hint of panic about their approach, even after Xabi Alonso ruled himself out of the running. It was a process that even saw them pass on Amorim, feeling that his ideals didn’t fit in with the club’s style, which only raises questions about his suitability for United.

Once Slot was appointed, he was given time to work with his players properly, although he did have to wait on some of them amid a busy international summer. Nevertheless, the fruits of his labor were clear to see in pre-season with wins over Arsenal and, of course, United, and the Reds have gone on to establish themselves as title hopefuls since.

United can only dream of being in such a position this season, and time will tell whether Amorim proves to be a success at Old Trafford. He certainly hasn’t been dealt the best hand to start with though.