Gary Neville once tipped a 'brutal' manager to fix the mess at Manchester United in 2022, with some fans believing three years later that he would still be a good appointment. The Red Devils have suffered their worst season in Premier League history, sitting in 16th with one game of the campaign remaining.
Their only chance for European football was via victory in the Europa League, but Ruben Amorim's men put on a dismal performance en route to a loss against Tottenham, with Amorim offering to leave the club for free if the board decided to sack him. With the jury still out on the Portuguese coach, Neville's pick from three years ago has continued to prove he may have been the right man to turn the dressing room around.
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Neville Called For Diego Simeone to Become Manchester United Manager
The Atletico Madrid manager would've brought a no-nonsense approach to Old Trafford
Speaking to Sky Sports prior to Erik ten Hag's reign as United manager, as per the Metro, Neville suggested that Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone should have been a top candidate for the role, as the former full-back backed the Argentine to have the right mentality to turn things around at the Theatre of Dreams.
"Diego Simeone should be a candidate, but it’s never been achievable to get him out of Atletico Madrid. He is wedded in there, he is tied. But it would be brilliant to see him in the Premier League, you saw on Tuesday night, I’ve seen it many times – I got beaten 2-0 in Valencia by his brilliant Atletico Madrid team that Griezmann was in before he went to Barcelona.
"Fantastic coach, brutal in how he approaches the game, I think in every single way. He’s tough, and Manchester United need a tough manager.
"Manchester United need a manager who can compete with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola – they’re the best, so they need someone who can stand on that touchline and feel equal to them and I think Simeone could.
"I wouldn’t rule Simeone out at all, but I think Ten Hag and Pochettino would be the way forward because they’ll want a progressive coach that plays a certain way, that probably is a little bit cheaper and available."
Neville's suggestion that Simeone's style of play may have been a deterrent might have hit the nail on the head, given that the Argentine has been viewed as one of the best defensive coaches in the game.
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Since the ex-defender's comments, Simeone has remained at Atletico, though they have not claimed a major trophy since their 2020/21 La Liga title. They have, however, remained a constant presence in the Champions League — something that cannot be said of United.
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Fans Still Call For United to Hire Simeone
Many believe the Argentine could still do a job at Old Trafford
Simeone Flick
Three years removed from Neville's comments, there have still be United supporters over the course of Ruben Amorim's tenure suggesting that the club would still benefit from a manager like Simeone. One fan stated: "Amorim should have never take up that coach role. United need someone with the temperament of Flick, Tuchel, Inzaghi, Simeone," while another added: "Only one man can save United - Diego Simeone."
A third said earlier in the season: "Man United are social media fc. These players actually don't care. As long as they are paid, they throw any manager under the bus. If a strict manager gets appointed like Diego Simeone, then who knows what will happen," while a fourth chimed in to say: "Being neutral fan, I don’t think Amorim is right man for United at least. If they could, then Simeone is."
All statistics courteys of Sofascore - accurate as of 22/05/2025.