Patience key as Amorim and Frank shape Man Utd and Spurs
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim admitted he may dip into the transfer market in January with Benjamin Sesko an injury concern. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.
CHOOSING the right manager for football clubs as big and rich as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur should be straightforward.
Identify the right man, whose coaching principles and football philosophy align with the values of the club, equip him with a squad capable of competing at the highest level and then – and this is the tricky part – give him time.
Patience is a virtue possessed by a diminishing cross section of people in the game, from the boardroom to the terraces, and the football world is littered with managers who might have got it right if only they were given more time.
It is rare that a coach can come in and bring instant success. Arne Slot inherited a Liverpool squad that had recently won the Champions League and Premier League, but it had taken Jurgen Klopp five years to find that winning formula.
Alex Ferguson endured five barren years at United in the 1980s, and was said to be on the brink of the sack, before he built the most successful English side in living memory. There are outliers, of course, like Jose Mourinho, who was given a billionaire's backing to make Chelsea champions, and Arsene Wenger, who inherited the meanest defence in Europe at Arsenal and just had to add attacking flair to make them double winners twice.
And the current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is living proof that you have to stand by your man, as he leads the hot favourites for the Premier League title now, having gone five seasons without success.
So to answer the questions that still linger about Ruben Amorim's suitability at United, and are starting to be asked about Thomas Frank at Tottenham, is to be patient. Give them time to impose their methods, assemble the staff and squad they require to lift these traditional giants back into the higher echelons of the game.
One of them could have gone second in the table by winning their clash in north London on Saturday lunchtime, but a draw, brought about by Matthijs de Ligt's late leveller, meant a point each would have to do. And in truth neither side look likely to finish above Liverpool or Manchester City, let alone Arsenal, when the honours are dished out in May.
Although Spurs won their first major trophy in 17 years when they beat United in the Europa League final last season, the fact they finished 17th and 15th respectively was a more accurate indicator of their standing.
In this day and age, finishing so low with such big clubs would end in the sack, and Ange Postecoglou was duly replaced by Frank, while Amorim was given the benefit of the doubt, having reluctantly taken over from Erik Ten Hag mid-season.
That was a year ago last week, and the progress has been remarkable. Amorim's United are improving, with this result being their fifth game unbeaten, and they certainly look harder to beat than last season's team.
He spent heavily to bring in a new look forward line, with Bryan Mbeumo the best of them, and the former Brentford striker stood out on Saturday, scoring the opening goal, his fourth in four games. Defensively it was noticeable how quickly United's players got back after losing possession into a defensive shape of two banks of four, and new goalkeeper Senne Lammens showed his ability with excellent saves to keep out Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha. The young Belgian was beaten twice in the closing stages, when Mathys Tel and then Richarlison put Spurs ahead, only for De Ligt to head home an equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time, leaving both managers somewhat deflated.
“We have a lot of problems,” said Amorim. “We are just in the beginning. I know that sometimes the results show to people that we are improving. We are improving but we have a lot to do.”
Thomas Frank was also blunt in his assessment of where his Tottenham side are. Asked if he is still trying to find the right formula and best line up, having changed personnel again, he admitted: “Yes, I think that's fair. We are searching to find the right balance up front. We constantly work on the relationship and try to improve the players and try to find what is exactly the right blend, but I think these were small steps in the right direction.”
Amorim hinted he may go into the transfer market again in January after Benjamin Sesko sustained a knee injury after going on as substitute and missing a late chance to score a winner.
“I'm not concerned about his form, but I'm more concerned with his knee injury, because we need Ben. Let's see when the window is open if we can improve the team,” said the United manager.
4-2-3-1 Vicario 6; Porro 6 (Udogie 67), Romero 7 (Danso 87), Van de ven 7, Spence 7; Sarr 7, Palhinha 7 (Bentancur 79); Johnson 6, Simons 7 (Tel 79), Kolo Muani 5 (Odobert 46); Richarlison 6
3-4-3 Lammens 7; de Ligt 7, Maguire 7, Shaw 6; Mazraoui 6 (Sesko 58), Fernandes 6, Casemiro 7 Ugarte 72), Dorgu 6 (Dalot 80); Diallo 7, Cunha 6 (Mount 72), Mbeumo 8.
Sam Barrott 6
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