Sean Dyche has given his pitch for the Man United job, piling more pressure on Ruben Amorim and claims he would have won more games in charge.
The 53-year-old, who was sacked as Everton manager in January, named United as the club he’d always wanted to manage and spoke about the disarray at Old Trafford.
United still have the Europa League final as a way into the Champions League next season through the back door but the Premier League campaign has been an embarrassment.
They are 16th in the table and Amorim’s win percentage is a pitiful 24.
Sean Dyche was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet and said: ‘He’s not going to change the way he plays. He [Ruben Amorim] better win some games – pretty quick.
‘I reckon if I went there and played my way, we’d win more games. Just 4-4-2 – give them basic rules of principles.
Sean Dyche, pictured here in December before his Everton sacking, took aim at Ruben Amorim
United are enduring a miserable season and Dyche believes he’d win more games than Amorim
‘We’re all going, “Fair play” – but, he’s been there a while now so you better start bringing some wins soon.’
Dyche continued: ‘Howard Wilkinson had a great saying, he said, “Win, survive, succeed”. Basically, you have to win first, and then you can survive because you’re winning, and then success is when you do lay down all your principles and your playing style.
‘So, if he can win enough, which is the worry at the minute, and then survive the process, and then succeed – then that’s going to be better.
Dyche admitted United is the club he’d love to manage most, saying: ‘It was always Manchester United because of the size of the club, not because it’s Man U – but due to the sheer grandeur, particularly back then.
‘I know they are going through a tough run at the minute, but the whole worldwide feel of it. That’s a big superpowered club.’
United have accrued 24 points from 25 games under Amorim and trended downwards after sacking Erik ten Hag.
If results against the three relegated sides were taken away, United would sit bottom of the table and they’ve only beaten Ipswich and Leicester since January.
Dyche went on to say he expects Amorim’s job to be under threat early next term: ‘I’d be surprised if Ruben Amorim is not under pressure [early next season],’ he added.
The Portuguese manager has a win percentage of just 24 and it has been a calamitous season
United still hold out hope of Champions League qualification through the Europa League
‘Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt this season – he’s laying down his platform for success, the future, and educating, let’s say.
‘Then you get your pre-season, because now you’ve got that window to actually work on it, day in, day out. Shift a few players out who maybe don’t buy in, shift the players in who do buy in. Then, if it’s not early next season, how long do you go?
‘The easiest answer would be pre-season up until the half-way point, but it’s not always designed like that is it? You get the job and it’s half-way through the season.
‘If it’s not early next season, then I’d be saying, it hasn’t worked. So, if I’m the Director of Football, I’ll go right, “You’ve either got to change what you’re doing and make it work, or we make a change”.
‘The perfect scenario is at least if you get a pre-season and juggle the transfers, then by Christmas, if you’re not having some form of success – most people go, “Things need to start working pretty quickly”. You probably get the next window, and then by January/February, they are going, “It’s not working”.’
Dyche believes the pressure could ramp up on the Manchester United boss early next term
He also thinks that ex-England boss Gareth Southgate would have been a solid choice
Amorim described his team as the worst in Manchester United’s history earlier in his tenure.
Players loaned out from the club such as Antony and Marcus Rashford have seen a vast improvement in their form and the storm clouds will only be partially lifted with a win in the Europa League final.
United take on Tottenham next Wednesday in a game said to be worth £100million to the winner.
While Dyche is never likely to be in the hotseat at United, he believes Gareth Southgate would have been a more shrewd appointment than Amorim.
‘I thought the Manchester United job fitted Gareth [Southgate] really well,’ he posited.
‘Coming out of the hardship of managing your country – because it is hard managing your country.
‘The fans and the media can drive [decisions] but sometimes you’ve got to be brave enough. Think of all the managers down the years where clubs have been brave.’
