Manchester United rejected the opportunity to appoint Ruben Amorim just months before performing a U-turn and selecting him as Erik ten Hag's successor, according to reports. Amorim was named head coach in November after the club's hierarchy finally pulled the trigger on sacking Ten Hag amid an abysmal start to the season.
But the Portuguese tactician entered the hot seat at an awkward moment, inheriting a winter schedule involving matches every three games as well as an out-of-form and low-on-confidence squad.
After Monday's 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United - the fourth in a row in all competitions and fifth in six Premier League games - Amorim claimed he had taken just four training sessions with his full squad.
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United won't improve drastically until the 39-year-old has time on the training pitch, which should arrive at the start of 2025 with fixtures spreading out.
He would've had a couple of months if he had joined before pre-season, though, but the Red Devils reportedly snubbed him due to concerns over the squad's suitability for his system.
According to talkSPORT, United were offered Amorim while they were assessing potential candidates to replace Ten Hag.
The Old Trafford giants are said to have spoken to Roberto De Zerbi, Kieran McKenna and Thomas Tuchel but turned down Amorim.
During a broadcast on talkSPORT, former Premier League striker Troy Deeney emphasised just how important having a pre-season was for players.
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He explained: "There's fit, match fit and tactically fit- there's different ways of doing it. The problem this manager is going to have is getting these players fit during the season.
"I've missed pre-season twice in my career due to injury – that season, I may have done okay, but I never once felt good. Pre-season is huge as a player."
Amorim's 3-4-3 system is a drastic change from Ten Hag's 4-2-3-1, making United's woeful string of results no real surprise.
Things have to improve, though, with his side now just seven points above the relegation zone after playing 19 matches.
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After losing to Newcastle on Monday, Amorim incredibly admitted that United were in the thick of a battle to avoid dropping into the Championship.
He told Sky Sports: "That is really clear [whether United are in a relegation fight]. It's one of the most difficult moments in the history of Man Utd, and we have to address it with honesty.
"When you have these kinds of moments, especially in the big clubs, it's really hard to turn things around, especially when you don't have a lot of time to train the basics, to cope with the difficult moments.
"So we have to acknowledge our position. The way you see the league, everybody can beat everybody. So we have to engage and focus on surviving."
