With Ruben Amorim fired the focus now switches to who will be the next manager of Manchester United.
There are reports suggesting an interim manager will be put in charge for the rest of the season before a new boss is hired.
But there are already a few clear candidates to succeed Amorim, while there are also plenty of people calling for United’s hierarchy to take their time with this appointment as hiring Amorim to replace Erik ten Hag clearly wasn’t the right decision.
Given that director of football Jason Wilcox enjoys possession-based football, perhaps we will see United switch to that model for their managerial search? Or will they focus on just getting the best coach available and going from there?
Despite the obvious issues building at Old Trafford, there are still so many elite candidates who will be lining up to take charge of Manchester United.
Who will be the new Manchester United manager?
Here are a look at some of the candidates to become the next manager of Manchester United.
Enzo Maresca
The timing could work really well for Enzo Maresca, who was just fired as Chelsea coach despite largely doing a wonderful job. He seems like the kind of character who would want to jump straight back in to a big job and despite many saying that he’s being lined up as the next manager of Manchester City should Pep Guardiola depart in the summer, wouldn’t it be something if United scuppered those plans and swooped in for Maresca now? His possession-based football may be a little tough for this United side to get a grasp on right away, but his Chelsea side were also very dangerous on the counter and played an entertaining, risky football. That is something United clearly want.
Kieran McKenna
A former assistant at Manchester United, McKenna is held in very high regard at the club and would be seen as an exciting appointment. The job he has done at Ipswich Town is hugely impressive, taking them from the third tier to the Premier League on a shoestring budget and then this season having them back in the hunt for an immediate return to the top-flight. McKenna had been linked to Chelsea and other big jobs over the last year or so and United are the one club he’d probably leave Ipswich for. He may not be the big name but he could well be the best fit.
Mauricio Pochettino
This is a bit of a long shot given his job with the USMNT but Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with Manchester United so many times over the years and his track record speaks for itself. He develops and improves young players and has a clear playing style and philosophy which actually suits the majority of this United squad well. Again, this ship may have already sailed, but Pochettino would be a very solid option and if given the time to build his team he’s already turned one struggling giant (Spurs) into a Champions League regular. He is also out of contract this summer so United would get him for nothing.
Unai Emery
This is Man United so they can dream big and getting Unai Emery to leave Aston Villa would be the dream scenario. He always overachieves and has built a solid, reliable, dangerous counter-attacking team at Villa who are fighting for the Champions League and trophies. That is where United want to be. Would Emery want to head back to a ‘monster club’ after his mixed time in charge of both PSG and Arsenal? He seems to thrive at clubs aiming to punch above their weight in the tier just below but perhaps that is exactly the kind of leader United need to get them back among the challengers? Emery may not be available now but in the summer it’s possible.
Eddie Howe
He keeps being linked with big jobs whenever they come up for a reason: he’s a very reliable manager. Howe has built a great team at Newcastle but it does seem like he has taken them as far as he can and that could interest Man United. Howe is used to building projects and with Man United still working things out, but just hovering outside the top four as they do it, his excellent man-management skills and tactical nous could be the final cherry on top United need.
Oliver Glasner
Perhaps the most realistic appointment midseason is Glasner, who has worked wonders at Crystal Palace. His 3-4-2-1 system is very similar to Amorim’s, which could be both a blessing and a curse for his chances. Glasner’s tactics would work well with the squad Amorim assembled and he seems fine with focusing on being a coach and he improves players and gets the absolute maximum out of them. Glasner appears to have taken Palace as far as he can and he is reportedly out of contract this summer.
