Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim faces a must-win Premier League game against Burnley on Saturday afternoon, following a truly shocking EFL Cup result.
The Red Devils lost 12-11 on penalties to League Two side Grimsby Town on Wednesday, and Amorim hinted after the game that he could leave Old Trafford after the Burnley game.
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The Portuguese was, as expected, less emotional during his press conference on Friday, and the head coach insisted that he is completely focused on the job at hand.
However, Amorim is reportedly holding revealing talks with Manchester United’s tops during the international break, and his position will be seriously weakened if the Red Devils fail to overcome Burnley.
Here, Sports Mole looks at five potential manager options for the Red Devils, should Amorim choose to leave his job or are actually sacked by the club in the near future.
Sportsmole has called what is available and come up with the following topic:
Former England manager Gareth Southgate
We’ve been here before.
Gareth Southgate was reportedly wanted by former Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth to replace Erik ten Hag, but the club’s chief executive Omar Berrada insisted on Amorim.
Despite all the criticism of Southgate’s time with England, the 54-year-old led the Three Lions to the final of Euro 2020 and 2024, as well as leading a semi-final and a quarter-final appearance in two World Cups.
Southgate won 61 of his 102 games in charge of England, but he has not been a club manager since leaving Middlesbrough in October 2009 with a record of 45 wins, 43 draws and 63 defeats in 151 games.
It would be a risk for Manchester United to sign Southgate, and it would not be a very popular choice among supporters, who would be worried about his problems in the biggest games.
However, Southgate oversaw a major cultural shift during his time with England, was incredibly popular with the players, and he is once again in the picture for the top job at Old Trafford.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner
Oliver Glasner is one of the highest-rated managers in the Premier League, and the 51-year-old has done an outstanding job at Crystal Palace since his arrival in February 2024.
Glasner has a record of 30 wins, 21 draws and 15 losses in his 66 games as boss, and he famously led the Eagles to the FA Cup title last season, as well as the Community Shield this season.
Palace are a club that is heading in the right direction, but they were forced to sell Eberechi Eze this summer, while Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton are expected to follow suit.
Glasner knows he will struggle to ever push Palace towards the Champions League places due to the club’s willingness to let key players leave for the right price, and he will surely be attracted to the job at Old Trafford.
As it stands, the Austrian is solid in the fight for the Manchester United job if a change is made.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola
Andoni Iraola is another manager who has made a big impression since his arrival in the Premier League.
The 43-year-old did an outstanding job with Rayo Vallecano between 2020 and 2023 before getting the call from Bournemouth, and he took charge of the Cherries in July 2023.
Iraola has a record of 35 wins, 21 draws and 34 losses in his 90 games at the helm, and he has led Bournemouth to Premier League finishes of 12th and 9th respectively in his two seasons at the helm.
The latter proved to be Bournemouth’s best ever finish in the Premier League, and the team’s style of play under Iraola has led to the Spaniard being recognised as one of the best young coaches in European football.
It would be a big step up to move to Manchester United, but there has been talk that the Red Devils squad is more suited to a 4-3-3 system, and it is the setup that Iraola prefers.
Former Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick was in charge of Manchester United on an interim basis between November 2021 and December 2021, winning two and drawing one of his three games at the helm.
The former Red Devils midfielder then managed Middlesbrough between October 2022 and June 2025, and he was widely regarded as one of the best young coaches in England during his time at the Riverside Stadium.
Carrick left Boro at the end of the 2024/25 season, having failed to lead the team to the Premier League, but his value remains high, and a return to Manchester United cannot be ruled out.
Middlesbrough played an attractive type of football under the 44-year-old, although he was accused of lacking tactical flexibility, which has also been a criticism of Amorim.
Carrick knows what it takes to be successful at Manchester United, and his exploits at the Riverside Stadium should stand him in good stead for when his next managerial role comes along.
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Sacked by Besiktas on Thursday night, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is available for an immediate return to Manchester United, and it would be a story if the Red Devils moved for the Norwegian.
Solskjaer was only appointed head coach of Besiktas in January, and he led them to a fourth-place finish in Turkey’s top flight last season, but defeat to Swiss side Lausanne in the Conference League play-offs led to the decision to remove the 52-year-old from his role.
The former Manchester United striker took over the Red Devils on an interim basis in late 2018 following Jose Mourinho’s departure, and he was then appointed on a permanent basis in March 2019, having led the team to 14 wins in his first 19 games at the helm.
Solskjaer would lead Manchester United until November 2021, leaving the club with a record of 91 wins, 37 draws, and 40 losses in 168 games, which gives him a win percentage of just over 54%.
The former striker led the club to the Europa League final during his time in charge, and his counter-attacking football was extremely appealing to watch.
Manchester United can now amazingly turn to Solskjaer again if Amorim leaves.
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