How Manchester United’s structural reset puts the spotlight on the next coach

Old Trafford’s hierarchy are looking for a strong personality to lead the team, confident that a quiet but significant transformation behind the scenes has finally changed the environment they are stepping into. Also in this Friday’s members-only email:

As United properly begin the process of appointing a new head coach, one consideration now stands above many others: how a manager looks and feels the moment he “walks in the door”.

It may sound simplistic, but as they found with Ruben Amorim, it remains hugely significant. The club’s leadership – and especially Sir Jim Ratcliffe – believed the Portuguese coach had the personality to carry the weight of such a club. Over time, however, sources say they came to feel he lacked the necessary “emotional maturity”. He simply was not ready.

That still matters, regardless of how much the modern game changes. And it is also where United now face a problem – one arguably deepened by the economic landscape from which the club has long benefited.

Put bluntly, there are fewer coaches of that calibre available. Look across the 12 clubs that attempted to form the Super League – the self-styled “wealthy elite” perpetually aiming for the biggest trophies – and there are now more managers who have won nothing at all than there are Champions League winners. Only Pep Guardiola and Hansi Flick have lifted the trophy, rising to just three if you include Luis Enrique among the other prospective Super League partners at Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

The situation is almost the complete opposite of a decade ago. Back then, Guardiola was the obvious choice for everyone, while United could turn to a genuinely legendary figure in Jose Mourinho. Of that 2016 “summer of super coaches”, only Guardiola remains – with Michael Carrick now preparing a game plan to face the Catalan on Saturday.

Modern football has fostered a self-perpetuating dynamic in which the widening gap to the super-wealthy means very few coaches can acquire the precise experience – or credentials – required to manage them.

That helps explain the renewed talk of United returning to Thomas Tuchel, who came close to joining in the summer of 2024. He has the charisma, the record and sufficiently modern ideas – but his availability could cost United another summer, given his hope of remaining involved in the World Cup until 19 July.

Enrique is also being discussed. Beyond that, however, many candidates carry similar risks to Amorim. How, for instance, would Andoni Iraola adapt?

United sources insist there is one crucial difference from Amorim’s arrival – and it lies on the other side of the door he walked through.

The culture and atmosphere at Carrington are said to be “night and day” compared with then. This is not simply an internal boast. It is echoed by other figures in the game, including those from rival clubs who have visited the training base.

The hope is that this change will give Amorim’s successor a far better chance, given that he first entered an environment that has since been described as “toxic”.

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The new United leadership knew they had to “clear house”. A central issue was a familiar trait of once-successful institutions: how many people at the club remained wedded to the old ways. United were described internally as “stale” and “occasionally bitter”, in much the same way Liverpool were in the 1990s and Arsenal in the 2010s. Any setback in attempts at progress was often met with weary appeals to how things used to be done.

This is not to say Sir Alex Ferguson himself was the problem, but rather the institutional memory of his era. There was a “residual atmosphere” that extended into the dressing room, an inevitability given the way a disconnected squad had been assembled over 11 years. Culture was inherited, rather than deliberately created, when it needed to be built anew.

Amorim, for his part, is seen as having contributed to that shift. The Portuguese coach is credited with introducing new standards and fostering a more collective culture.

Hence the mood and atmosphere now being described as completely different. United sources say this change has been reinforced by a broader transformation around the dressing room. The club has recruited highly respected figures into several key roles: Michael Sansoni from Mercedes as director of data, Sam Erith from a range of elite sporting environments as director of performance, and Christoph Vivell as director of recruitment.

United have at least significantly modernised, even if there is a clear awareness that none of this will truly matter until results improve. Still, this is what an elite club is supposed to look like.

None of this was properly in place during the May–October 2024 period when Erik ten Hag’s future came under scrutiny. It amounts to the “gutting of the house” that one previous coaching candidate said was necessary.

Carrington itself also looks completely different, which the club are keen to stress is the product of Ratcliffe’s investment.

The minority owner may yet remain an issue if he continues to involve himself in football decisions, as some sources claim.

The football leadership, however, resisted pressure to sign players specifically for Amorim, instead opting for a broader, long-term approach – with the effects of the data-led transformation still to be fully seen. It is also pointed out that all youth teams now play with a back four.

United still have to use the next five months to decide what they actually want to look like as a team.

That is what the next coach must fit into.

Thomas Frank has encountered a related problem. Brentford’s infrastructure was perfectly suited to him; Tottenham’s is not. The Dane is having to adapt to something very different – and considerably more dysfunctional.

Yet at clubs with the scale of United, or Spurs, it cannot simply be a case of replicating another structure wholesale. That is not enough. You cannot ride out a month of disappointing results on the basis that everyone “trusts the process”. The scrutiny is too intense.

A coach has to be able to withstand that pressure. Hence this central consideration over what comes next.

Some aspects of football do not change, even as everything around them does. A proper structure will give United’s next coach a far better chance – but the weight of the job will still be immense.

Get in touch

Who should be the next head coach at United? Email me at m.delaney@independent.co.uk to share your views.

As Morocco aim to win just their second African Cup of Nations, and their first since 1976, seven players from the country have scored five or more goals in the Premier League since 1992. Can you name them?

Note: all players have been capped by Morocco. Obviously, retired players count.

Spurs intent on more spending

While the Conor Gallagher signing genuinely came out of nowhere – this newsletter reported on Monday that he was heading to Aston Villa, with Spurs reportedly considering passing – it is now being seen as a sign of a new attitude at White Hart Lane. The club was told there was an opportunity and chose to act, effectively gazumping Villa.

It may also be the first of several signings, as there is still considerable budget for the summer and Spurs are looking to bring in another attacker. The Independent reported this week that Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche is once again a target, as the club looks to bolster its attack.

While targets are typically recruited to fit a broader approach rather than Thomas Frank’s specific system, that should not necessarily be interpreted as a sign his position is under immediate threat. With board members still undecided on his future, the appointment of Carlos Raphael Moersen as Director of Football Operations signals an intention to provide Frank with the infrastructure he needs.

Florentino Perez has one big hope for manager

Real Madrid are, of course, considering Jürgen Klopp, whose style they view as “perfect” for their current squad. That interest, however, has not led to any concrete approach, as it is well known that the German has no immediate plans to return to coaching. Convincing him would be a significant challenge – but could the lure of Real Madrid be enough? The prospect of leading two giants, both them and Liverpool, to Champions League glory is undeniably tempting, particularly if it meant taking the role for only a short period.

How Frank ended up with an Arsenal cup

Insiders say it was largely accidental. With regular Premier League clubs now familiar with opposition dressing rooms, Arsenal knew that Bournemouth’s coffee system is identical to their own. So, when they played there two weeks ago, they brought a lot of their own cups – which were naturally left behind. That is how Frank ended up accidentally drinking from one. A trivial story, with an equally trivial explanation.

Ask Miguel

Given the Marc Guehi example, it seems it’s financially far better for players to run down their contract on a Bosman? Richard

Thanks for the mail, Richard. Yes, undeniably. Put simply, it means the money a club would normally spend on a transfer fee can instead be offered to the player.

Real Madrid have almost perfected this approach: they spend transfer fees only on players under 23, while anyone older – who naturally commands higher wages – is targeted on a Bosman. This is why clubs are so determined to avoid letting contracts run down, and why it can become a panic situation if a player has only 18 months left. The resulting offers are consequently much more lucrative for the player.

Want to ask a question?

Email me at m.delaney@independent.co.uk for a chance to be featured. 

We all got our first impressions of Chelsea’s new manager this week, as he spoke extensively to the media around their cup games with Charlton Athletic and Arsenal. He is certainly distinctive. While some have criticised him for a “High Performance” persona, as if he has internalised coaching manuals – and elements of that are not untrue – I haven’t really come across a manager quite like him.

He may well come to be seen as one of the first of a new generation, reflecting how coaching is evolving. There is a strong sense of positive energy, tempered with urgency. Some of the things he says will inevitably be lampooned – the David Brent comparisons are unavoidable – but he clearly doesn’t mind.

Amid the focus on the head coach, one change on the official Chelsea team sheet was conspicuous. The full names of all backroom staff were listed beneath the players, signalling the importance of the wider structure for the club’s future.

Last week was a bonus FA Cup week, which brought three correct outcomes and one correct scoreline, but it of course doesn't add up the overall total which is still at: 90 correct results out of 210, and 124 points out of 630 when factoring in exact scorelines.

My predictions for Premier League matchweek 22:

Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City

Sunderland 2-0 Crystal Palace

Chelsea 1-1 Brentford

Liverpool 3-0 Burnley

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 West Ham United

Leeds United 1-1 Fulham

Nottingham Forest 1-3 Arsenal

Wolves 1-0 Newcastle United

Aston Villa 3-1 Everton

Brighton 2-2 Bournemouth

I know many of you play along so please let me know how your points are stacking up via email.

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Hassan Kachloul, 16

Marouane Chamakh, 15

Mustapha Hadji, 14

Romain Saiss, 9

Talal El Karkouri, 8

Adel Taarabt, 7

Hakim Ziyech, 6

Drop me an email and let me know how you did. Thanks for reading – and see you on Monday!