TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole believes that Sir Jim Ratcliffe should have made one appointment for the Manchester United managerial role when he had the chance.
Ruben Amorim arrived in the Old Trafford hot seat last November after Erik ten Hag was sacked as Manchester United manager during the 2024-25 campaign.
Erik ten Hag had a disastrous start to his third campaign in charge at Old Trafford and the former Ajax head coach was dismissed in the opening months of the season.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was United assistant manager under fellow Dutchman Ten Hag, was temporarily installed as interim head coach until Ruben Amorim’s arrival.
However, Amorim’s future as United manager is shrouded in mystery after the Red Devils’ disappointing start to the 2025-26 Premier League season at Old Trafford.
Joe Cole tells Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe why Sir Gareth Southgate should have been Man Utd manager ahead of Ruben Amorim
Manchester United were linked with Sir Gareth Southgate when the 55-year-old former Three Lions manager was in charge of the England national team.
Sir Gareth Southgate has been out of the dugout since his spell with the Three Lions came to an end in the aftermath of England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.
The former England boss reached the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 as the Three Lions head coach, but Southgate fell short on both occasions.
Speaking after United’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford on Saturday, Joe Cole believes that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos should have appointed Southgate as United manager.
“He’s clearly a good manager [Ruben Amorim], but there needs to be a culture change,” he said on TNT Sports.
“I thought Gareth Southgate was the perfect man for the job in terms of building culture, understanding the club, and understanding the league and the players.
“I could have seen him working with Jim Ratcliffe, but they went with Amorim, and it doesn’t look like it’s working.”
The Sir Gareth Southgate noise is starting again after Ruben Amorim faces immense pressure as Man Utd manager
The rumblings around United and Sir Gareth Southgate have once again reignited in the wake of the Red Devils’ Premier League defeat on the weekend.
Fabrizio Romano recently suggested that the “link” between United and Southgate remains ever-present due to the former England manager’s relationship with Ineos.
According to reports in 2024, former United sporting director Dan Ashworth wanted Southgate to replace Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford as Red Devils head coach.
However, Ineos and United co-owner Ratcliffe picked Amorim as the club’s head coach and Dan Ashworth would leave his role at the Red Devils after five months.
Amorim has once again found himself in the firing line at Old Trafford after United’s disappointing result against Brentford in the Premier League clash on the weekend.
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