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Manchester United minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe was reportedly left underwhelmed by the list of candidates to replace Erik ten Hag. Ruben Amorim is approaching the anniversary of his appointment at Old Trafford and nearly exactly 12 months on, he is finally enjoying his best period as the club's head coach. The appointment from Sporting CP was made with Dan Ashworth, Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox in the hierarchy but Ashworth, the former Newcastle United chief, left the club abruptly shortly after Amorim's arrival. Despite facing pressure at points last season and during the current campaign, the Portuguese tactician has come through the tough times to steer United to three consecutive wins and on the edge of the top four. It could have been a different story however, according to The Guardian, a Premier League shortlist was drawn up which featured Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Thomas Frank. The report adds that suggestions over Gareth Southgate's prospects to become the man at the Old Trafford helm were played down by United sources. The former England manager was also linked as a potential replacement for Amorim recently. As was Newcastle boss Howe. It has been said that Ratcliffe felt that the list was "uninspiring" as he looked to Ashworth to provide a conclusive list of successors. However, the article suggests that the failure of Ten Hag and the search for his replacement triggered a realisation from the United's chief that Ashworth wasn't the man he wanted to lead the club forward. The former Newcastle sporting director was said to have suggested not to make a risky appointment and pitched a list of Premier League candidates before United opted for Amorim. After defeat in the Europa League and a poor start in the Premier League, as well as the shock Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town, pressure ramped up on the 40-year-old's future. However there has been an upturn in form and it comes a matter of weeks after Ratcliffe spoke publicly to defend Amorim and rubbish the suggestion he could be on the managerial chopping block. “He has not had the best of seasons,” he told The Business podcast. "Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be. The press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. "They think it’s a light switch. You know, you flick a switch and it’s all going to be roses tomorrow. "You can’t run a club like Manchester United on kneejerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week.” Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .
