What Next for Manchester United After Ruben Amorim’s Departure?

So, yet another Manchester United boss bites the dust.

The Ruben Amorim experiment has ended after just 14 months in the Old Trafford dugout for the former Sporting boss. With Amorim’s disastrous spell in charge done, United will now have to appoint a 7th permanent boss since Alex Ferguson left in 2013. Club stalwart Darren Fletcher has been placed in temporary charge as the club weigh up their next move.

The Portuguese manager’s abrupt exit, which came about due to ongoing disputes with those above him over transfers and tactics has left the club in a state of uncertainty for the 2nd successive season. Last season, the fiasco that was the removal of Erik ten Haag from the role was left to linger for far too long, resulting in a hurried search for a new boss. Amorim himself had wanted to take the role in the summer of 2025, but was left with no option, and took over in November 2024.

It appears that the decision makers at the club will not be making the same mistake again, with an interim boss set to be placed in charge of the remainder of the season. Rightly or wrongly, this decision will allow them time to enhance their options when it comes to picking the next person to take charge of one of the biggest football clubs in the world.

What’s Next?

As we have said, it looks likely that an interim manager will be employed to take the rest of the season as the club waits for more elite options in the summer. That interim would at this stage appear to be either Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick or Darren Fletcher.

United are currently level on points with Chelsea in 5th place, a position which could earn Champions League football next season, so, if they go down the interim route it is going to be an important decision with almost half the season still to play.

Manchester United’s Next Manager

The big question for Manchester United is what kind of manager/head coach they want to lead their team?

For too long, there has been a confused and contradictory outlook to what kind of team United want to be. Big names like Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal brought an aura and presence with them to the United dugout, but both were relieved of their duties. Ruben Amorim was brought in to replicate his performance at Sporting and lead United back to the top table. His much-talked about 3-4-3 was viewed as the way United wanted to go as they plotted their return, but now he is gone after just 14 months with the worst win percentage of any United manager post Ferguson.

United have also tried the club legend route under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The initial upturn in form under the Norwegian as an interim brought a permanent spell in charge which lasted almost 3 years. Again, this ended in failure, with Solskjaer losing a Europa League final and being sacked after a 4-1 thrashing by Watford.

The mixed fortunes of all of United’s managers post Ferguson make this next decision a huge one for INEOS in their time at the club. They may be proven right with their wait until the summer tactics with no suitable solutions on the market at the moment.

Some Potential Options

Possible targets such as Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola are out of contract at their respective clubs in the summer, and given the amount of money United have dished out in compensation over recent years, it may prove prudent to wait for a manager at the end of his contract. The two managers listed would surely be an upgrade on Amorim, with each of them attracting high praise for the work they have done in the Premier League.

Glasner has guided Crystal Palace to their first ever trophy, earning plaudits for the way he has led the club in recent years. Despite having many of his top players sold off, he has been successful in turning Palace into one of the top sides in the league. He does play a similar 3-4-3 to Amorim’s which could deter some, but he is less dogmatic about it than Amorim and has played with a 4 at his previous clubs.

Andoni Iraola is another potential successor with Premier League experience. The 43- year-old has been a revelation during his time at Bournemouth with his high-octane football sure to be a major draw for United fans. Whether the club possesses the kind of players that would suit Iraola’s style at the moment is questionable, but waiting until the summer would allow the club the time to formulate their transfer plans around players that would suit his high-pressing, quick game.

Conclusion

Glasner and Iraola are just 2 of a long list of potential replacements for Ruben Amorim. United may decide on hiring a manager post World Cup, with bosses such as Thomas Tuchel or Mauricio Pochettino potentially available after their summer exploits. Whatever happens, this next decision is a huge one for the hierarchy at United, and they can’t afford to get it as wrong as they did with Amorim.

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