The contenders to take over from Ruben Amorim at Manchester United

Oliver Glasner is the early frontrunner to replace Ruben Amorim at Manchester United following the sacking of the Portuguese head coach.

However, some key figures at the club are keen on making a move for Roberto De Zerbi, who has also been previously interviewed for the job.

Porto coach Francesco Farioli has been discussed, as have Fulham’s Marco Silva and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, who have both also been spoken to in the past. Silva and Iraola, like Crystal Palace manager Glasner, are out of contract at the end of this season.

United are highly unlikely to show interest in Enzo Maresca, who left Chelsea last week.

The decision to go for a coach such as Glasner or one like De Zerbi is at the heart of the United’s dilemma around the kind of football they want to play. Glasner is more counter-attacking; De Zerbi wants his teams to dominate the ball.

The United hierarchy are certainly huge admirers of the work Glasner has done at Palace where his current contract expires at the end of the season.

They have continued to track his progress, and whether he intends to leave Palace, and have discussed him as a successor to Amorim.

Darren Fletcher will take temporary charge for the Premier League trip to Burnley on Wednesday and possibly the FA Cup third-round tie against Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United then aim to have an interim manager brought in until the end of the season with a view to making a permanent, longer-term appointment in the summer.

There is still significant support for De Zerbi, the former Brighton head coach who is in charge of French club Marseille.

De Zerbi was interviewed by United when they considered replacing Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2024 before they eventually awarded the Dutchman a new contract.

There remains huge admiration for De Zerbi. However, it appears Glasner is at present regarded as a more likely and attainable target.

There is little chance De Zerbi will leave Marseille mid-season, but, as with Glasner, United appear to be accepting they will have to wait. De Zerbi does want to eventually return to the Premier League.

Palace have tried – and so far failed – to persuade Glasner to sign a new contract, with every indication that he intends to see out the final six months of his deal and leave as a free agent.

It means United may have to wait for the 51-year-old until the summer which raises the prospect of them looking elsewhere or, as has been indicated, hiring an interim manager for the remainder of the campaign.

Palace have made it clear they are determined to keep Glasner as long as they can, even if he does not agree a new contract. They are not interested in releasing him early and receiving compensation from United or any other club who want him.

Sources have even indicated that, before Amorim’s bust-up with director of football Jason Wilcox that United were considering a change of head coach at the end of the season.

There have been suggestions that they might approach Michael Carrick to take the interim role. The former United midfielder was sacked by Middlesbrough last June after failing to secure promotion back to the Premier League.

Carrick previously had a three-match caretaker spell at United in late 2021, following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, before Ralf Rangnick was appointed interim manager until the end of that season.

It would appear unlikely at present, given he has gone on to be a manager, that he would be interested in a temporary role.

Glasner has been a huge success at Palace where he won their first trophy, the FA Cup, last season before going on to beat Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Prior to that, he won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt.

When Glasner took over at Palace in February 2024, the club was 15th in the Premier League after 10 defeats in 17 games.

Although he prefers a similar 3-4-2-1 formation to Amorim – which has caused such debate and friction – Glasner is not wedded to one system and has shown far more flexibility.

The contenders for one of the toughest jobs in world football

Oliver Glasner
Has to be considered the early favourite, largely due to his contract situation at Crystal Palace. The Austrian has done a wonderful job in south London, winning the FA Cup last season and defying the loss of several star players to keep them competitive again this term. But the 51-year-old has resisted attempts to get him to sign a new contract, and his deal expires at the end of the season. He has also sounded exasperated at times with the club’s financial situation. The lure of a huge club like Manchester United will surely appeal, but will he be too strong-willed for sporting director Jason Wilcox? Palace have made it clear they will resist attempts to poach him. That might not matter if Glasner decides he wants to go. Odds: 4/1

Enzo Maresca
What a twist this would be. The Italian talked his way out of the Chelsea job last week as he was unhappy with a lack of support behind the scenes and his inability to shape recruitment, but he did win two trophies during his time at Stamford Bridge and is understood to have talked to both Manchester City and Juventus about the possibility of future employment at those two clubs. Would be a risk given the clashes with Amorim behind the scenes, and it would feel like United had swapped one volatile manager for another. Odds: 6/1

Darren Fletcher
The man in the hot seat for now. Spent 20 years with the club as a player after coming through the academy and made over 340 appearances between 2003-14. Coached United’s under-16s before joining the first-team coaching staff under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021. Appointed lead coach of the club’s under-18s in July last year. Odds: 10/1

Sir Gareth Southgate
Would not be a universally popular choice and has recently said he may not return to football management, but did a really good job of changing the culture with England and took them to two European finals and the semi-finals of the World Cup. Could he do the same at United? Was thought to have been on the shortlist under former sporting director Dan Ashworth but was not appreciated by others at the club. Odds: 10/1

Marco Silva
Is he one of the most underrated managers in the Premier League? Has done a really good job on a limited budget at Fulham, as he did at Hull City before he moved on to Everton. Was criticised there and did not get to grips with the size of the club, but may have gained important lessons from that experience. Will be considered an outsider at this point, but that does not mean he should be ruled out. Would jump at the chance to take over at Old Trafford. Odds: 12/1

Michael Carrick
The romantic choice. Would be ideal if United want an interim manager until the end of the season, with a chance to prove he deserves the job full-time. He started well in his first and only manager’s job at Middlesbrough before losing his way, but has a sharp football brain and a strong connection to the club as a former player. Has been on the coaching staff before and would surely be keen to take on this sort of challenge with far better players than he had at Middlesbrough. Will definitely be considered and could have powerful support. Odds: 14/1

Roberto De Zerbi
Highly rated coach who would like a crack at a club of the size and stature of United. He has done well at Marseille, where he has turned the club into the main challengers to Paris St-Germain in Ligue 1 and had a positive experience of English football with Brighton. Deserves consideration and would be a legitimate option. Odds: 16/1

Kieran McKenna
Has been interviewed for the job before, when Erik ten Hag was under pressure, and has earned plenty of admirers during his time at Ipswich Town. He is also a former Manchester United coach and knows the club. He was assistant manager under Jose Mourinho and has blossomed since. Would presumably be willing to work under the parameters of a head coach which will make him attractive to the hierarchy. But it is a big step up from Ipswich to Old Trafford. Odds: 14/1

Julian Nagelsmann
Another German in charge of a national team ahead of the World Cup. Seems to be constantly linked with big club jobs without getting any of them after failing to impress at Bayern Munich. Impressed as a young, up-and-coming manager at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, though, and will want to return to club football at some point. Like Tuchel, though, United would surely have to wait until after the World Cup, where he will be in charge of Germany, to get the 38-year-old. Odds: 16/1

Mauricio Pochettino
Has been linked with the job before and certainly has the pedigree to become a United manager given his CV at Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, and PSG. Fared less well in a short stint at Chelsea where he found the management structure difficult to deal with, and that may well give him similar misgivings about going to Old Trafford. He is also manager of the United States national team ahead of a World Cup they are hosting. The timing does not feel right. Odds: 16/1

Eddie Howe
Howe did a superb job at Bournemouth and has continued at Newcastle United, winning the Carabao Cup last season. He will almost certainly be of strong interest to the United hierarchy, but can they get him out of Newcastle? His release clause is thought to be in excess of £8m and the 48-year-old has told those close to him he would be wary of going to a club with a management structure like Manchester United, where Wilcox and others control recruitment. Odds: 25/1

Thomas Tuchel
The only way you can see the German taking the job is if Manchester United hold it open for him until after the World Cup in the summer and appoint an interim manager until then. Tuchel is surely not going to walk out on the FA when he has repeatedly said how much he is enjoying the role as England manager and how much he is looking forward to the tournament. England also have a decent chance of winning the World Cup too with the group of players they have available. Odds: 33/1

Telegraph, London

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