A former Premier League star has recommended Diego Simeone as an ideal replacement for Ruben Amorim, as the Argentine coach ‘would have Manchester United working like mad dogs’. Amorim’s position as United boss had come under the scanner due to the club’s poor start to the 2025-26 campaign, however, the Red Devils have salvaged some pride with back-to-back Premier League wins over Sunderland and Liverpool.
After ending the 2024-25 season on a nightmare note, having finished the campaign trophy-less and 15th in the Premier League table, Amorim decided to rebuild his squad and spent lavishly in the transfer market to bolster his roster, especially in attack. The likes of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo moved to Old Trafford, while outcasts like Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony were moved on.
However, despite the heavy spending in the summer, United’s situation did not change much as they kicked off the 2025-26 campaign on a disastrous note. In their first six Premier League games, Amorim’s side secured only two wins and faced elimination from the Carabao Cup second round after losing to fourth-division side Grimsby Town.
In the last two matches, though, United have salvaged some pride as they registered back-to-back Premier League wins over Sunderland and Liverpool, a feat the club achieved for the first time in the Amorim era. They also beat the Reds at Anfield for the first time in nine years.
Former Arsenal and Everton midfielder Anders Limpar recently addressed United’s struggle under Amorim as the ex-Sweden international backed Atletico Madrid manager Simeone to replace Amorim at the helm to solve the Red Devils’ problems.
Speaking to Hajper, the 60-year-old said: “Diego Simeone is definitely a good manager to manage any Premier League team but it all comes down to the right environment and the players and then the transformation. Nobody knows what a man like Simeone and his type of energy would do at United. We’ve seen him play like Antonio Conte when he was at Chelsea and he won the Premier League with that kind of management. But it comes down to the players and manager working together. Simeone is so demanding, even with his own son, to play more than the other ones, and the work rate from Atletico’s players is unbelievable. Imagine having a manager who demands so much of his players at Arsenal, Liverpool or United? He would have them working like mad dogs.”
Similar to Limpar’s suggestion, former United captain and club legend Roy Keane also advised the English giants to hire the Argentine coach, as he said on the Stick to Football podcast: “I’d still say give the man a chance, absolutely.
Another week. I’ve said it for years, I’d like Atletico Madrid’s Simeone to go in there. I’d like to see him go there. I know his mate has gone to Arsenal [Andrea Berta]. I think he would just create havoc, but good havoc. He’d rock up to that place. No guarantees, but I’d just like to see his personality, his track record. People might think styles of football, they scored five against Real Madrid last weekend. He doesn’t like his teams giving up too many goals or chances, but they can play a bit and fight.”
After the triumph at Anfield, Amorim took a sly dig at his critics as he pointed out that many wanted him out of the club before Christmas. The 40-year-old had said: “It is really important. I don’t have many wins in Manchester.
It is really important back to back, every detail of this game, the spirit when we suffer a bad moment or control, all the small things was perfect. Let’s try to do that next week. It is really important for our fans, they struggle against Grimsby and Brentford and today they saw a different team. I think it is not normal, it is hard to find something like this, so many bad moments and to have the fans always supporting the manager when everyone of [the media] is saying he is gone before Christmas.”
