The timing of his appointment is quite different, but the timing of his replacement may be similar. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur's captains, Hoobeng Amorim and Enze Postecoglou, who are rarely out of the slump, are on the verge of being replaced. If the current crisis cannot be overcome, there is a high possibility that he will face a sharp wind of dismissal from the beginning of the new year.
It's hard to say who's in a more dangerous state. It's only been about a month since manager Amorim took the helm of Manchester United, but rumors of early replacement are rising as he spent the 'worst December'.
Manchester United, led by manager Amorim, has recently fallen into a swamp of four consecutive official games, including three consecutive league losses. In the 19th round home game of the English Premier League (EPL) in 2024-2025 season against Newcastle United in Old Trafford, Manchester, England, early on the 31st (Korean time), they lost 0-2 after giving up two goals in the first half alone.
The defeat pushed United to 14th place in the league (22 points, 6 wins, 4 draws, 9 losses). It is now time to worry about 'demotion'. In addition, this defeat led to a whopping six losses (5 EPL losses, 1 League Cup loss) in eight games (6 EPL games, 1 Europa League game, 1 League Cup game) played in December. It's a disgraceful record. It is the first time in 94 years that United have lost six times in a month.
At this point, there is even a saying that 'It's no better than Ten Hach'.
Recently, British Give Me Sports cross-reviewed the performance of 10 games before former coach Ten Hach was replaced and 10 games led by Amorim (except against Newcastle). Former coach Ten Hag had three wins, five draws and two losses (14 points) in his last 10 games. On the other hand, coach Amorim recorded 4 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses (13 points) before Wolverhampton in the 18th round of the EPL on the 27th. The points are one point higher during the Ten Hag era. In terms of goal difference, former coach Ten Hach scored +7 (18 points, 11 points), while Amorim scored -2 (17 points, 19 points).
Because of this performance, the pressure on manager Amorim to replace him is increasing. Coach Amorim also hinted that he may be replaced early after losing to Wolverhampton in the 18th round. Ahead of the game against Wolverhampton, he said "I'm well aware of what I'm doing. Manchester United manager can never be comfortable. If you don't win, all coaches will face the risk of being replaced regardless of the purchase cost payment. I understand that's the job."
Given the nature of owner Jim Ratcliffe, who makes the decision to dismiss him relentlessly if there is no performance, the pressure on manager Amorim can be seen as already underway.
In fact, owner Ratcliffe appointed general manager Dan Ashworth in July and recently fired him. It was thrown out in 159 days. It's only been a month since manager Amorim took office, but if he continues to lose, this is why there is a possibility that he will be replaced before the end of this season.
Not to mention Postecoglou. It's already been a while since the red light was turned on. He took office last season and raised expectations by raising his team to fifth place with unconventional attacking football, but his tactics are no longer working this season.
The performance is incomparable to last season. In the last three games, he has been winless (24 points, 7 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses) and ranked 11th in the EPL. It is eight points away from fifth place (currently Newcastle), the last place in the UEFA Europa League (UEL), which was achieved last season.
Not as much as Manchester United, but I can't deny that it's on the decline. In particular, Postecoglou's tactics and leadership are being attacked in all directions. Criticism of the strong-arm tactics that do not consider Plan B is raised in local media that 'flexibility is reduced'. When it went well, it was praised as 'romantic soccer', but at this point, tactical diversity is low and it is evaluated as too stubborn.
As a result, rumors of replacement came out early. There is even a prospect for 'hard point of view' and 'second director'.
Tottenham Hotspur News, which specializes in Tottenham news, said on the 29th that Coach Postecoglou may experience serious problems (hardness) at Tottenham. If they fail to win the EFL Cup (Carabao Cup) semi-final, they could be dismissed'
Team talk also said that `the Tottenham club will judge the outcome of one important game in the future regarding Postecoglou's future' and that `Postecoglou will not be fired while Tottenham remains in the EFL Cup. Therefore, the semi-final against Liverpool will be very important.
In the end, the EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool, scheduled for January 9 next year, is likely to be the reference point for Postecoglou's fate.
In addition, there was news that the Tottenham club contacted the candidate to take charge of the team after Postecoglou was replaced. According to Tottenham Hotspur News, Turkiye club Besiktas' presidential candidate Serdal Adali gave an interview that coach Edin Terzic would succeed Postecoglou.
In an interview with Turkiye television broadcaster `Tivhu Spor'Terzic was originally one of our team's candidates"When he had a meeting with us, he said he was looking forward to an agreement with Tottenham. The story is over,' he said, adding that Tottenham had an early communication with Terzic. It is evidence that Tottenham is already embodying the post-Postecoglou system.
As a result, the fate of Amorim and Postecoglou will be determined by what performances Manchester United and Tottenham will show from early to mid-January. Who will pack first. It is difficult to weigh in at the moment.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
