Ruben Amorim already has what Erik ten Hag didn't at Man United after private chat

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has admitted he privately told Gary Neville that Erik ten Hag did not have the charisma to lead Manchester United after meeting him early into his reign as manager.

Ten Hag was appointed United boss in the summer of 2022 but got off to an incredibly difficult start. However, a victory at home to Liverpool steadied the ship and he would end the season qualifying for the Champions League and winning the League Cup.

His second season was a lot more difficult though, as United crashed out of the group stages in the Champions League and looked set not to qualify for Europe at all until they won the FA Cup. The victory over Manchester City at Wembley gave Ineos reason to extend Ten Hag's contract.

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However, he lasted little more than two months in charge before being sacked at the end of October. This weekend sees a new era begin at United with Ruben Amorim leading the club for the very first time at Ipswich Town.

Ahead of the fixture, Carragher has penned his thoughts on the previous regime in his Telegraph column. In the piece, he opened up on a private conversation he had with Neville that was less than flattering for Ten Hag.

"The most successful [managers] have an aura and personality," he wrote. "Only those working in the same environment can offer a first-hand account of how the manager operates behind the scenes, but for those of us on the outside looking in, perceptions matter.

"Without dwelling too much on United’s recent past, this was a red flag against Ten Hag from day one. Two games into his reign, Gary Neville and I had the pleasure of interviewing Ten Hag at United’s training ground.

"He was a polite guy but there was no sense of an x-factor. Driving away from the meeting that day, I turned to Gary and said: 'He must be a supercoach because there isn’t much charisma.'"

The same could hardly be said for Amorim, if early impressions are anything to go by. "A Manchester United manager must carry the same gravitas, and although he has only given one media interview to his club’s website since being appointed, if I was a supporter I would already believe Amorim’s character will be vastly different from his predecessor," added Carragher.