8 Potential Replacements for Ruben Amorim as Manchester United Manager
Manchester United fans will fear that this isn't even rock bottom.
The Red Devils were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the second round stage on Wednesday, falling to League 2's Grimsby Town.
After slipping to a 2-0 first-half deficit, United grabbed a couple of late goals to take things to penalties. From there, the Mariners went on to win a marathon shootout, 12-11.
As embarrassing as the result is for United, cup upsets do happen. It's not entirely unusual for a lower-league club to put on a big performance and take out one of the competition's perceived big guns.
That the Red Devils began the game with a much-changed starting XI featuring a couple of youth players in defense can also offer some kind of explanation for the disappointing result.
But when that comes after a diabolical 2024-25 in which United finished 15th in the Premier League and lost in the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, and when they have started the new campaign with a draw to Fulham and a loss to Arsenal despite spending hundreds of millions on new talent, the fear and frustration following what amounts to a defeat against lowly Grimsby Town is significantly magnified.
And in these situations, it's the manager who usually comes into focus.
Ruben Amorim has not even been in the United dugout for 10 months, and his position is already under serious question.
The Portuguese still hasn't managed to impress his vision on the squad, and the notable success he achieved with Sporting CP in Portugal is starting to look like a long, long time ago.
After just three games of the Red Devils' 2025-26 campaign, glances are already being cast at who could step in and become the latest in a long line of possible United saviors. If anyone actually wants the job is another matter entirely.
Read on for a selection of potential candidates to sip from the poisoned chalice.
Oliver Glasner
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Why It Makes Sense:
Oliver Glasner has done remarkable work at Crystal Palace. The Austrian guided the Eagles to their first-ever FA Cup win last season—which was also the club's first major trophy—and added the Community Shield in early August.
He's done so with an enterprising attacking style that will no doubt appeal to United fans. With Amorim already building a squad to suit a 3-4-3 formation, Glasner would inherit players that suit his preferred tactical setup.
He also picked up silverware during his time with Eintracht Frankfurt, guiding the Bundesliga side to Europa League glory in 2021-22.
Despite the success he's already delivered, the Eagles are perhaps limited in how much higher they can fly. United, even with their obvious issues, have clearer skies for future success, and that might appeal to the 50-year-old.
Why It May Not Happen:
Glasner will surely be keen to see how far he can take Palace in their first European campaign.
While it might not be the Champions League or even the Europa League, the Conference League offers the Austrian another chance to add to his trophy cabinet and write another chapter in the club's history books.
Maybe he'll seriously consider it when the next Manchester United managerial crisis happens.
Andoni Iraola
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Why It Makes Sense:
Another manager who has done admirably with what they've had to work with is Andoni Iraola, who continues to impress at Bournemouth.
The Spaniard took the Cherries to ninth in the Premier League in 2024-25 after guiding the club to 12th the season before. That improvement was even more impressive considering the south-coast club's limited budget and minimal pulling power.
Although he's supported by an impressive scouting network, he's still got the very best out of his players, resulting in Bournemouth raking in around $280 million in player sales this summer, according to TransferMarkt.
United could use a little more success when it comes to transfer incomings, and the 43-year-old has proved he can extract every last bit of talent from his squad.
Iraola is due for a step up.
Why It Might Not Happen:
The situation at Old Trafford might seem less unstable than at the Vitality Stadium, and the pressure is significantly higher in the north-west.
While there is certainly potential at United, the Spaniard would have seen all of the other coaches who haven't managed to make the most of it.
With his reputation at a remarkable high, it feels the only way it can go with the Red Devils is down.
Gareth Southgate
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Why It Makes Sense:
Since the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe in United's director's box, Gareth Southgate has been tipped as a possible managerial option at the club.
The former England manager didn't manage to bring football home, but he got mighty close, taking the Three Lions to the World Cup semifinal in 2018 and European finals in 2020 and 2024.
For a nation that has underperformed for decades, that was a remarkable achievement. Southgate has often been lauded for his man-management capabilities, and with the implementation of a rigid system under Ten Hag and now Amorim not proving successful, a player-forward approach might be in United's best interest.
Why It Might Not Happen:
Southgate's record in club football comprises three years at Middlesbrough in the 2000s, including one season in which he got the club relegated.
That probably won't sound so appealing to United. While there might not have been any real risk of relegation in 2024-25, they certainly fell closer to the drop zone than they would have liked.
Southgate has certainly proved himself as a manager since then, but there are surely options available with greater experience at the club level.
Kieran McKenna
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Why It Makes Sense:
Kieran McKenna has United connections, he has experience at building a club up from the lowest of lows, and he has plenty of potential to improve.
He was once an important part of the United coaching setup, graduating from the manager of the club's under-18 side to become the senior team's assistant manager, a role he held under Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.
The 39-year-old then took on his first managerial role with great success. He achieved back-to-back promotions with Ipswich Town to bring the Tractor Boys back to the Premier League.
While he was unable to keep them in the division, he demonstrated a few reasons why he's such a managerial talent, picking up impressive wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
He could be a great fit for the club, but United might have to settle for stability in the early going before improvements in his first full campaign.
Why It Might Not Happen:
A lack of big-club experience will be the biggest mark against McKenna's name in the managerial shortlist.
It really depends on whether immediate success is expected or if United are willing to bide their time. Unfortunately, patience has not been a notable trait among the club's hierarchy.
Marco Silva
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Why It Makes Sense:
Marco Silva has done a fine job as Fulham manager, keeping the club comfortably in mid-table of the Premier League following promotion in 2022.
The London side doesn't quite have the pulling power or finances of a few of the other outfits in the capital, so those finishes become even more impressive.
With big players departing over the last couple of seasons, too, the Portuguese has done well to maintain stability.
Silva hasn't quite had the opportunity to show what he can do at a big club. A move to Everton from Watford in 2018 was a small step up that didn't work out, and he's since had to rebuild his reputation with the Cottagers.
Now, after close to a decade in English football, is it time to give him another chance?
Silva has integrated new signings well, pivoted when key players have departed, and brings a controlled approach that might at least provide United with a platform to build upon.
It wouldn't be a flashy appointment, but it could be a sensible one.
Why It Might Not Happen:
Is he what United really wants or needs at this point? Silva would arguably do the job expected of an interim coach, straightening things out before another manager comes in to take things to the next level.
The 48-year-old has proved himself as a capable top-flight manager, but expectations are much higher at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick
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Why It Makes Sense:
Former United midfielder and coach Michael Carrick has taken charge of the club before, stepping in as interim manager after the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and before the appointment of Ralf Rangnick.
During that time, he earned the Red Devils wins against Arsenal in the Premier League and Villarreal in the Champions League group stage, while he also managed a 1-1 domestic draw against Chelsea.
That's not a bad record, albeit in a limited sample size.
Carrick also impressed during his tenure at Middlesbrough. He arrived with the club 21st in the table and took them to the brink of a Premier League return, only to lose in the playoff semifinal.
The following year, he guided the club to the Carabao Cup semifinal, only to be humbled by Chelsea in the second leg. He was sacked following his third season after the club missed out on the playoffs.
If United want to take a chance on a young manager with rebuilding experience and an intimate knowledge of the club, Carrick might be the man to pick.
Why It Might Not Happen:
Like McKenna, it would be a bit of a risk to elevate Carrick to such a huge job so early in his managerial career.
While he served the club with aplomb both on the pitch and in the dugout, this job might have come too soon for the 44-year-old.
Zinedine Zidane
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Why It Makes Sense:
Another season, another chance to tip Zinedine Zidane for the Manchester United job.
The Frenchman has seemingly been waiting in the wings forever, but he's not yet been called up to the stage at the Theatre of Dreams.
Since leaving his second stint as Real Madrid boss in 2021, Zidane hasn't returned to the managerial spotlight. In that time, six people have been in charge at Old Trafford, albeit three of those were simply understudies.
After each major departure, Zidane's name was whispered as a potential option to step in. He's had success at leading a global football superpower before, and while United are slipping from that status with every disappointing season, there is simply no denying the club's global standing.
He delivered 11 pieces of silverware to Real Madrid across two periods in the dugout, including two La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League trophies.
For a club whose taste for success has not nearly been satisfied in recent years, that kind of pedigree will surely be welcomed.
Why It Might Not Happen:
Maybe this scenario will never jump from script to stage.
Despite the level of club that Zidane has managed, he's perhaps not the best option for the job.
At Real Madrid, he had the finances, the squad strength, and the immense pull of the club's history. Arguably, he'll have just two of those things in Manchester.
Having only taken charge of one team and only managing in Spain, his appointment might seem like too much of a risk for a club that—whisper it quietly—could simply be battling to finish higher than 15th rather than hunting for trophies.
Xavi Hernandez
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Why It Makes Sense:
After being relieved of his duties at Barcelona in 2024, Xavi has not returned to a managerial position.
A turbulent time at the end of his final season in the Blaugrana dugout saw him depart under a bit of a cloud.
The club finished 10 points off the pace of La Liga-winners Real Madrid and exited the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage following a second-leg collapse against Paris Saint-Germain.
But he still managed to win La Liga and the Copa de España during his time at the club, which is an impressive achievement in his first managerial role for a major European side.
He stepped in at the Camp Nou with Barcelona at a bit of a low ebb, having gone three seasons without a La Liga title win. To bring some glory in his first full season demonstrates that he can get a big club back on the right track, and that might appeal to United.
Why It Might Not Happen:
Similar to Zidane, this might not be the right moment for Xavi to turn up at Old Trafford.
While the turnaround that the Spaniard achieved with Barcelona was impressive, there's a big difference between turning second- or third-place league finishes into a title win and reviving a club after nearly a decade of underperformance and their lowest top-flight finish since they were relegated in 1974.
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