Ruben Amorim now appears set to suffer the same fate as his Manchester United predecessors, struggling to hold down a job since his Old Trafford exit.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer found it hard to secure a new role after the club sacked him. Three years later, Beşiktaş hired him, but he failed to re-establish himself and was sacked just eight months later after only 29 games.
Erik ten Hag signed for Bayer Leverkusen months after INEOS sacked him, but he never settled there and was dismissed only 62 days after taking charge.
Now, former United head coach Amorim risks finding himself in the same predicament.
Amorim at Milan
In the summer, AC Milan entrusted him with their project, choosing to overlook the Portuguese tactician’s struggles at Old Trafford.
While he initially seemed the perfect fit, his honeymoon at San Siro already appears to be over, and questions are mounting over his Milan project.
Although Milan remain unbeaten in four league games this season, picking up two wins and two draws, their sole defeat (a 2-0 Europa League loss to Benfica on Wednesday night) has left the club’s hierarchy dissatisfied, especially after two frustrating draws.
Reports also suggest Milan often struggle in the first half, with Amorim continuing to chop and change his line-up.
These issues were not helped by his post-match comments following the Benfica defeat, when, echoing his time at United, he claimed he lacked the right players for his system.
Crisis talks called at AC Milan
Tension is already rising at San Siro. The Mirror reports:
“[AC Milan owner Gerry] Cardinale has scheduled crisis talks with Amorim to discuss their start to the season and recent performances.
“Cardinale and Amorim, as well as chief executive officer Massimo Calvelli, are poised to sit down in the coming hours to assess the difficult period the team are going through.”
INEOS need to match AC Milan’s ambition
Amorim is clearly under pressure. Interestingly, his predecessor, Michael Carrick, at United, who has posted worse results so far this season, still retains the club’s full trust.
Unlike Milan, those at M16 see no reason to call a crisis meeting over the Red Devils’ dismal start. This highlights the clear difference in ambition between the once two European heavyweights.
Featured image by Marco Luzzani via Getty Images
