Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim faces a battle for his future at the club.
Unfortunately, Manchester United fans have seen all this before. When a manager or head coach is under serious pressure, it usually ends badly.
This time Ruben Amorim does not even have previous trophy wins to back him up, like Jose Mourinho or Erik ten Hag. And he does not have the former Manchester United player connection Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had either.
Instead all Amorim has is his litany of poor results, where he is statistically Manchester United’s worst manager.
Speculation is already mounting over his future ahead of United’s match with Sunderland this weekend, where Amorim is desperate for a win.
One manager linked with replacing Amorim is Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who is currently on a 18-game unbeaten run with the Eagles.
Oliver Glasner praised Manchester United’s attack, Amorim has dismantled it
Oliver Glasner is unbeaten in three matches managed against Manchester United, winning two games and drawing one.
Glasner spoke about United’s positive traits in September 2024, when Erik ten Hag was manager, and talked up the threat the Red Devils posed from the wings.
He told Palace’s website: “They have a lot of quality in their offence, with their wingers, brilliant in 1v1, with players from the midfield always scoring.”
Ruben Amorim introduced a new tactical system to the team when he was appointed, playing a 3-4-1-2 formation that meant wingers were not required.
United’s two most dangerous players from wide areas were Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, who Amorim quickly gave up on. One is out on loan and not expected to return, and the other has been sold.
Oliver Glasner is adaptable
Oliver Glasner plays a three-at-the-back system, but he is not totally wedded to a specific formation, proving far more adaptable than Ruben Amorim.
One of the best wingers in Europe thrived under Glasner, Michael Olise, who cut United’s defence to ribbons in their 4-0 win over Erik ten Hag’s side at the end of the 2023/24 season.
United’s squad would need some remoulding under Glasner, but not a complete renovation.
Rashford and Garnacho may have been doomed for the exit regardless, and without them, it would be interesting to see if Glasner moulded his tactics around the squad United have, or tries to find the wing threat United once had.
Ruben Amorim will be working overtime to try and ensure we never have to find out.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
