Erik ten Hag’s potential replacements all shared same trait, Ineos knew what they wanted next

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There was a clear pattern emerging in the list of candidates to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager.

The 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday afternoon was the final straw and Erik ten Hag was sacked as Manchester United manager on Monday morning.

He spent just over two years as manager at Old Trafford but has been let go after leading United to their worst-ever Premier League start this season.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will take interim charge, starting with his first match against Leicester City in the League Cup on Wednesday evening.

Ruben Amorim looking to replace Erik ten Hag at Man United

With Ten Hag sacked, attention quickly turned to who will replace him in the Old Trafford hot seat.

Ineos missed out on Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino – the two favourites over the summer when Ten Hag found himself under pressure.

United fans named their favourite candidate with supporters keen to see former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez take the reins.

However, reports now suggest that Ruben Amorim will be next United manager, despite interest from Edin Terzic and Xavi.

Although the Portuguese looks most likely – there was still a clear pattern between the four gaffers.

Ineos knew what they want in next Man United manager

There was a clear pattern in the manager candidates that were linked to the Manchester United job.

All four managers were young, with Van Nistelrooy actually the oldest option at 48 years old. Sporting boss Amorim is just 39 years old.

They also share very similar outlooks on football with all four managers preferring a forward-thinking possession-based style.

READ MORE: Bruno Fernandes breaks silence first as Erik ten Hag is sacked as Manchester United manager

A major criticism of United’s managerial appointments since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement is that there has not been a clear direction in coaches, with the likes of Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho sharing very different footballing philosophies.

However, it is clear from the leading candidates that Ineos know exactly what they want from the next Manchester United manager, which looks to be Amorim.