Man United eye World Cup managers as Sir Alex Ferguson is snubbed | OneFootball

INEOS will not call upon Sir Alex Ferguson in the hunt for Manchester United’s next head coach, but they already have one of the Scot’s former foes in their sights, according to a blockbuster new report.

Ruthless Ratcliffe

The Mirror reveals Sir Jim Ratcliffe will “ruthlessly snub” the legendary manager as the search for Ruben Amorim‘s replacement intensifies.

The Portuguese coach — recruited from Sporting CP to lead a revolution at Old Trafford — fell victim to the same cycle of misery that has consumed each of his predecessors in the post-Ferguson era, leaving with the club’s worst record in the Premier League era.

Ruben Amorim managerial stats at Man United

Despite INEOS steadfastly supporting Amorim over the past 14 months off the pitch, with virtually no evidence to justify this faith on it, he turned on the executive branch in an explosive meeting with sporting director Jason Wilcox last week, demanding wholesale changes to his squad and threatening to leave the club.

Less than three days later, he got half of his wish. On Monday morning, the Red Devils confirmed Amorim had been sacked, along with his entire coaching staff.

Under-18s manager Darren Fletcher was placed in charge on a temporary basis, supported by Travis Binnion and Jonny Evans, while a permanent caretaker is sourced to take the reins until the end of the season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick are the two frontrunners for the role.

Over the summer, INEOS will then settle on Amorim’s long-term replacement, with a host of options under consideration at both club and international level.

United’s rulers will not lean on the expertise of Ferguson, however, with The Mirror stating both Ratcliffe and the Glazer family have “no desire” to involve the 84-year-old in the process. But two names who feature on the club’s shortlist would almost certainly have received his rubber stamp anyway.

A Narrow Shortlist

The report states United have already identified a selection of targets, with three managers set to lead countries at this summer’s World Cup high on the list.

“United are expected to announce a caretaker-boss next week, before making a permanent appointment in the summer. Names on the shortlist include Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino. [The club] will be looking for their third full-time boss since 2024 – and seventh since Fergie retired in 2013.

“Fergie is known to be a huge admirer of Pochettino – and has pushed for him to be appointed United boss in the past. While the Scot is also close friends with Italian serial winner Ancelotti.

“But the powerbrokers at United, which also includes chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, are confident of being able to make the right choice without Fergie’s influence.”

Tuchel has already turned down United once before, when INEOS approached the 52-year-old German as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag in the wake of the FA Cup final triumph in the summer of 2024. But Tuchel rebuffed their interest before deciding to take the England job a few months later. He is understood to be top of United’s list once again this summer.

Pochettino, currently managing the United States, one of the hosts of the tournament, is also said to feature highly in Ratcliffe’s estimations, as well as Ferguson’s, having enjoyed previous spells with Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

Ancelotti is perhaps the most surprising choice, given he has just taken over the Brazil national side and has previously joked the United hotseat is “too much pressure”, though a manager who has led Real Madrid to unrelenting success in the Champions League is not one who flinches in the face of adversity.

He also has previous experience in the Premier League — a key attribute INEOS are prioritising — having won the title with Chelsea in 2010, and is a brilliantly versatile tactician.

Ultimately, all three are solely focused on the World Cup at present, and will not be available until after the tournament is over in mid-July. This represents a significant risk as they would be unlikely to start until the beginning of August, two weeks before the new season gets under way.

But if there is the faintest prospect of a manager with the pedigree and experience of Don Carlo being available to lead INEOS’s revolution at Old Trafford, it is a risk worth taking.

Featured image Gareth Copley via Getty Images

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