Manchester United seem to be in their umpteenth cycle of attempting a rebuild in the post-Fergie era. They have not lifted the Premier League title since the charismatic Scot retired from management more than a decade ago, and subsequent managerial appointments have not worked out.
Midway through last season, the Red Devils sacked Erik ten Hag, who had middling success during his stint at Old Trafford. They replaced him with then Sporting CP manager Rúben Amorim, who had made a name for himself as one of the bright young minds in the managerial game.
The Portuguese tactician came to Manchester fresh off leading his former team to a sensational win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. However, it is safe to say that so far the Red Devils have struggled to get going under Amorim. Most recently, they suffered a 3–1 defeat to Brentford.
The options are three-fold
Now, as per Fichajes, the Man Utd board are considering replacing Amorim and, should they decide to bring the knife down, they have lined up a three-man shortlist to potentially be the new manager of the Red Devils. This includes Andoni Iraola, Gareth Southgate and Oliver Glasner.
Iraola has been Bournemouth’s manager for the past couple of seasons, and he has done a great job with the Cherries. He has managed to maximise the resources at his disposal, established a clear brand of football, and the results have been there for everyone to see.
Southgate, on the other hand, needs no introduction. He is best known for his time as manager of the England national team, and the results under him have been largely positive. That said, the brand of football left a lot to be desired during his time with the Three Lions.
The third name on the list is arguably the most interesting. Glasner was already highly rated during his time at Eintracht Frankfurt, but his stint at Crystal Palace has seen his stature rise even more. They are the only unbeaten team in the Premier League so far this season.
The report mentions that Amorim will be given a chance to turn things around, and Man Utd do not plan to wield the axe yet. That said, if the results do not improve, difficult decisions will have to be made, and it is safe to say that the Portuguese tactician will be under immense pressure ahead of the next set of games. Only time will tell if he manages to wade out of the choppy waters and reach calmer places.