Five managers Man United could appoint if Ruben Amorim walks, including ex-boss and Gareth Southgate

Sports Mole looks at five managers who Manchester United could appoint if Ruben Amorim leaves his role at Old Trafford in the near future.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is facing a must-win Premier League game against Burnley on Saturday afternoon, with the match coming off the back of a true shocker of a result in the EFL Cup.

The Red Devils were beaten 12-11 on penalties by League Two outfit Grimsby Town on Wednesday, and Amorim suggested after the contest that he could walk away from Old Trafford following the Burnley fixture.

The Portuguese was, as expected, less emotional during his press conference on Friday, with the head coach insisting that he is fully focused on the job in hand.

However, Amorim will allegedly hold showdown talks with Man United chiefs during the international break, and his position would be severely weakened if the Red Devils do not manage to overcome Burnley.

Here, Sports Mole looks at five potential managerial options for the Red Devils, should Amorim decide to walk away from his job or indeed be sacked by the club in the near future.

We have been here before.

Gareth Southgate was reportedly wanted by former Man United sporting director Dan Ashworth to replace Erik ten Hag, but the club's chief executive Omar Berrada insisted on Amorim.

For all of the criticism of Southgate's England reign, the 54-year-old led the Three Lions to the final of the European Championships in 2020 and 2024, in addition to overseeing a semi-final and a quarter-final in two World Cups.

Southgate won 61 of his 102 matches 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 losses in 151 matches.

It would be a risk for Man United to bring in Southgate, and it would not be a hugely popular choice among the supporters, who would be concerned about his struggles in the biggest of matches.

However, Southgate oversaw a huge shift in culture during his time with England, being incredibly popular with the players, and he is once again in the frame for the top job at Old Trafford.

Oliver Glasner is one of the most highly-rated managers in the Premier League, with the 51-year-old doing an excellent job at Crystal Palace since his arrival in February 2024.

Glasner boasts a record of 30 wins, 21 draws and 15 defeats from his 66 games in charge, and he famously led the Eagles to the FA Cup last season, in addition to the Community Shield this term.

Palace are a club heading in the right direction, but they have been forced to sell Eberechi Eze this summer, while Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton are expected to follow.

Glasner will know that he will struggle to ever push Palace towards the Champions League spots due to the club's willingness to let key players leave for the right price, and he would surely be attracted by the job at Old Trafford.

As it stands, the Austrian is firmly in contention for the Man United job should a change be made.

Andoni Iraola is another manager who has made a big impression since his arrival in the Premier League.

The 43-year-old did a brilliant 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 defeats from his 90 games at the helm, and he has led Bournemouth to Premier League finishes of 12th and ninth in his two seasons at the helm.

The latter proved to be Bournemouth's best-ever placement in the Premier League, and the team's playing style under Iraola has seen the Spaniard recognised as one of the best young coaches in European football.

It would be a big step-up to move to Man United, but there has been talk of the Red Devils squad being more suited to a 4-3-3 formation, and that is the set-up that Iraola favours.

Michael Carrick was in charge of Man United on a caretaker basis between November 2021 and December 2021, and he won two and drew 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 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 campaign, having failed to lead the team into the Premier League, but his stock is still high, and a return to Man United cannot be ruled out.

Middlesbrough played an attractive brand 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 Man United, and his exploits at the Riverside Stadium should stand him in good stead for when his next managerial role arrives.

Sacked by Besiktas on Thursday night, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is available for an immediate return to Man United, and it would be some 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-placed finish in Turkey's top flight last season, but defeat to Swiss outfit Lausanne in the Conference League playoffs led to the decision being made to remove the 52-year-old from his role.

The ex-Man United striker took charge of the Red Devils on a caretaker basis in late 2018 following Jose Mourinho's exit, and he was then appointed on a permanent basis in March 2019, having guided the team to 14 wins from his first 19 matches at the helm.

Solskjaer would go on to manage Man United until November 2021, leaving the club with a record of 91 victories, 37 draws and 40 defeats from 168 matches, giving him a win rate of just over 54%.

The former forward led the club to the Europa League final during his time in charge, and his brand of counter-attacking football was extremely pleasing on the eye.

Man United could now incredibly turn to Solskjaer again if Amorim departs.

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