Glenn Hoddle has a theory on why he believes Ruben Amorim would be a success at Liverpool
Ruben Amorim hasn’t pulled up any trees so far as Manchester United manager, but Glenn Hoddle is convinced that the 39-year-old would be a success if he were in the Liverpool dugout.
The Portuguese left Sporting Lisbon in November to take the job at Old Trafford after Erik ten Hag’s dismissal, but has won only six of his first 15 games in charge (including penalty shootouts) and lost seven.
He had reportedly been under consideration at Anfield last spring when the Reds were on the lookout for Jurgen Klopp’s successor, but according to Melissa Reddy, his playing philosophy was deemed to be at odds with what club chiefs were seeking.
Hoddle believes Amorim would’ve thrived at Liverpool
Despite that apparent clash in philosophies, and despite Amorim’s unsteady start at Man United, Hoddle remains adamant that the 39-year-old would’ve been a success at Liverpool had he been handed the reins instead of Arne Slot.
Speaking on the Kelly & Wrighty Show on Optus Sport, the former England manager said: “I think if he goes into a Liverpool, Man City or Arsenal or even a Newcastle, his system, he’d make it work and we’d all be going ‘Wow, what a good coach’.
“At the moment it’s not going to work at Manchester United, and that’s why I think he wanted to come in next season and he wanted to get these plans, but now it’s an experiment for him. He’s thinking, ‘Who am I gonna keep?’. He’s inherited that squad; it’s not his squad, and it won’t be until next season.”
Amorim is a good coach, but wouldn’t have been right for Liverpool
It must be acknowledged that Amorim excelled at Sporting Lisbon, where he won two league titles in four years, and that he hasn’t been helped by inheriting an underperforming United squad at a club which been in disarray behind the scenes for some time.
However, whereas it’s difficult to see any improvement in the Red Devils two months after his appointment, there were green shoots of recovery at Liverpool within a similar timeframe after Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers mid-season in the autumn of 2015.
Also, while his damning comments about his current squad being the worst in the Old Trafford club’s history may have had many nodding in agreement, to speak so bluntly in public about the players at his disposal is a risky move which has the potential to create further disharmony and blow up in his face.
We don’t think Amorim’s preference for a 3-4-3 would’ve been well-suited at Anfield, either. While a wing-back role might play into Trent Alexander-Arnold’s wheelhouse, it’d probably have come a couple of years too late for Andy Robertson, whose standards have dipped from their previous highs.
Furthermore, with Liverpool currently having only three centre-backs available during Joe Gomez’s injury absence, there’d be no scope for any of the others to break down or even get a much-needed rest now and again.
The 39-year-old would’ve had a stronger starting base on Merseyside, for sure, but considering how much better Slot is faring in his first season in England compared to his Old Trafford counterpart, we don’t think any Reds fan would complain about the appointment that FSG made last year.
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