Ruben Amorim under pressure but what are Man Utd’s options? | OneFootball

Manchester United’s dismal 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Saturday sparked renewed talk about manager Ruben Amorim’s future at the club.

The Red Devils have recorded just nine league victories in 33 games since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag last November. For a club of United’s stature, that is unacceptable.

While the upcoming home game against Sunderland offers Amorim another chance to steady the ship, the trip to Liverpool on October 19 may be a bridge too far.

As things stand, the club appears willing to stand by the manager. If they suffer another defeat this weekend, their stance could change.

A victory at Old Trafford could keep Amorim in the job for the short term, but the visit to Anfield has the potential to be a defining moment for him.

Safely navigating through two tricky fixtures could be enough for the board to play the long game with Amorim, but anything less may force them to act.

Although Amorim’s time at Old Trafford has been hugely underwhelming up to this point, he may feel that 11 months is not enough time to resolve all the squad’s issues.

His detractors argue that his refusal to deviate from his favoured 3-4-2-1 system demonstrates that he is not the right man to take the team forward.

However, having headed down this path, United have no choice but to stick with it. That point is hammered home when assessing potential replacements for Amorim.

Former Barcelona manager Xavi has been touted as an option, and his availability as a free agent may appeal to co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Despite this, appointing him is fraught with danger. United don’t have the players to deliver Xavi’s tactical vision. Much like Amorim, he is tactically rigid.

The idea that he could walk into the United job and fix all their issues is flawed. If he were appointed, it would solely be because he is a ‘big name’.

Ex-England boss Gareth Southgate has also been linked with United. As ideas go, this one is even more ridiculous than appointing Xavi.

Relatively speaking, Southgate did a reasonable job with the Three Lions. However, he failed to win silverware, and his lack of tactical acumen was exposed in big games.

His previous record in club management should also be a red flag for United. He won just 45 out of 151 games in charge of Middlesbrough. In simple terms, United can do better than him.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is a more sensible option than the aforementioned pair, but prising him away from Selhurst Park would not be easy.

It is also worth noting that he is married to the same tactical system as Amorim and would likely fail with the same tools at his disposal.

Unai Emery would be a significant coup for United, but it is debatable whether he would be tempted to leave Aston Villa at this stage.

He has transformed Aston Villa from relegation battlers to contenders for Champions League qualification and may feel he has unfinished business with the club.

Emery is perhaps the best choice to replace Amorim if the club decide to dispense with his services, but United are not renowned for making shrewd decisions.

Given the dearth of options available, the club’s hierarchy must give Amorim at least two more transfer windows to get the squad to his liking.

If they resolve the remaining issues in the squad and positive results are still not forthcoming, that would be the time to act.

Knee-jerk decisions rarely pay dividends in football. United have no other choice than to maintain the course they have taken and hope things work out in the end.