Four candidates to replace Ruben Amorim as Man Utd manager

Manchester United have had a mixed Premier League campaign and presently sit sixth in the standings with 31 points from 20 games.

They are only three points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool, and still have a genuine chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

United have confirmed that Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher will take charge of Wednesday’s game at Burnley after Ruben Amorim’s sacking.

The club have yet to identify a successor, but here are four candidates for the head coach role.

Oliver Glasner – Crystal Palace

The Austrian has been with the Eagles for almost two years. He has made a huge impact at the south London outfit, guiding them to FA Cup glory against Manchester City last season.

Palace also went on to lift the Community Shield against Liverpool, and have had another good season despite the lack of sufficient spending during the summer transfer window.

Like Amorim, Glasner has played with a 3-4-2-1 system at the Eagles. It has been a more successful stint for him. He has a 44 percent win rate compared to Amorim’s 38 percent.

The 51-year-old has shown his ability to work with a tight-knit squad without significant spending and has got the best out of striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who initially struggled at Palace.

His current contract expires at the end of the season. He has no desire to extend his stay as things stand, and United could wait until the summer to offer him a lucrative contract.

Enzo Maresca – free agent

Maresca ended his association with Chelsea last week after his relationship with the Blues’ board deteriorated. The Italian had a good reputation among the fans and players before his exit.

The 45-year-old has been in contact with Manchester City to succeed Pep Guardiola as their manager in the future, but United could seek to appoint him with a contract offer in the coming days.

Maresca has already enhanced his CV, having won the Conference League and Club World Cup titles with the Blues. His departure from the west London outfit came somewhat out of the blue.

If United want a head coach with Premier League experience to take over immediately, Maresca would be an ideal candidate. He may want to redeem himself after moving on from the Blues.

Xavi Hernandez – free agent

Hernandez has been out of duty since parting ways with Barcelona in the summer of 2024. He had a good three-year stint, winning the La Liga and Spanish Super Cup with the Blaugrana.

The 45-year-old found success despite the club’s precarious financial position. He was immensely praised for getting the best out of the academy. Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Fermin Lopez were among those who broke into the first-team set-up under the Spaniard’s tutelage.

United have been proud of the progression of club graduates into the senior squad in their long history. Xavi’s arrival could pave the way for the likes of Chido Obi, JJ Gabriel, Shea Lacey, Godwill Kukonki among others to get a pathway into the first team in the near future.

Andoni Iraola – Bournemouth

The Cherries appointed Iraola as their new manager after parting ways with fan favourite Gary O’Neil in June 2023. The South Coast outfit have since finished 12th and ninth in the league standings.

The current season has been tougher for the Spaniard with the Cherries languishing 15th in the table, but this has been primarily due to the massive selling spree during the last transfer window.

The club have not been able to efficiently fill the void left by the exits of defenders Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez last summer, while goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga also moved on (loan).

Bournemouth are one of the best sides when it comes to high pressing and aggressive attacking football. They could have been vying for Europe, had the hierarchy kept hold of their defensive assets.

Iraola could be a surprise candidate for the vacancy, based on his playing style at the Cherries.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .