Next Man Utd manager warned he’s joining ‘basket-case’ club as Shearer rattles off SEVEN ‘complete joke’ Ratcliffe failings | OneFootball

Manchester United have been warned that any potential new manager will likely be put off by the way the club has been run since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took charge after Alan Shearer listed a catalogue of errors made by the British billionaire, while sources have revealed a big double update on the club’s plans to appoint an interim boss.

The Red Devils dispensed with Ruben Amorim’s services on Monday after just 14 months in charge. While the Portuguese firebrand made his bed with an astonishing outburst after the 1-1 draw at Leeds, which strongly hinted at frustration at those in power behind the scenes, his position at Manchester United had been under threat for several weeks owing to frustrations over his refusal to move away from his 3-4-2-1 formation and amid suggestions of disagreements over transfer budgets and targets.

Now, with the hunt for a successor well and truly underway, Shearer has warned that any new incumbent may need to question several red flags being put before him by Ratcliffe‘s running of the club.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, host Gary Lineker described United as a ‘basket-case of a club’ and suggested the way the 73-year-old has run the club since acquiring a 26.2% stake in the club leaves a lot to be desired.

Agreeing with him, Shearer was quick to rattle off seven major mistakes Ratcliffe has made since taking charge at Old Trafford.

“It didn’t work for him [Amorim], but I have to say, the people running the football club have to accept the blame as well,” Shearer stated. “They made an absolute mess of it.

“We’ve seen, and it’s not the first time we’ve said this. If you look at every corner that they’ve tried to turn and every decision that they’ve made, it’s been an absolute joke, whether it was giving Ten Hag a new deal.

“Whether it was sacking [Erik] Ten Hag, paying Newcastle for Dan Ashworth and then him going on gardening leave. Then, sacking Dan Ashworth and giving him a payoff. Then, going to get Ruben Amorim and not accepting that he has to come in now.

“Paying the money for him and his staff, then 14 months later, sacking him. The list goes on and on, whether it’s staff or other decisions.

“The owners, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, [director of football, Jason] Wilcox, [chief executive, Omar] Berrada, they have to accept their blame as well because they have made an absolute mess of every decision since they’ve been in there.”

Man Utd close to announcing interim boss; decision on permanent boss to wait

Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick are due for fresh talks with United this weekend, as they emerge as the leading contenders to take over until the end of the season, while sources can also reveal why INEOS have taken a strong stand against the appointment of a permanent replacement in the here and now.

We understand that a decision will likely be reached imminently, with an announcement expected from the club early next week and potentially within the next 48 hours.

Solskjaer has been considered the favourite to return to the role he had for three years up until late 2021, and he remains hugely popular with the fanbase.

Carrick, though, who himself enjoyed three years with Middlesbrough in the Championship, is keen to be given the chance.

A source close to the club told us: “Ole is hugely popular, with fans, players, staff, pundits, and it would be very easy to bring him in – they know what they are getting.

“There is a good chance it will be him, but Michael has his admirers and they respect what he did at Boro too; they firmly believe they have good options to come in.”

Whilst a new permanent coach being appointed this month is not being ruled out entirely, sources have told us that they are more inclined to wait until the summer – giving them the chance to do their due diligence and assess the risks and rewards on all the candidates for the role.

We understand that United have taken on board the issues that appointing a new head coach in mid-season caused last time, when Amorim replaced Erik Ten Hag in November 2024.

During those initial talks with the then Sporting CP coach, INEOS had forced Amorim’s hand by telling him it was effectively now or never for the United hotseat; a decision that left him, he felt, with little option but to accept.

However, after the teething problems under his tenure resulted in a disastrous 15th-placed finish, INEOS has since realised that it was not an ideal situation and they are keen to learn from the mistake going forward.

Next Man Utd manager: 18 options ranked; Glasner the top choice

On the subject of the next permanent manager, our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, exclusively revealed earlier this week that Oliver Glasner is top of the Red Devils’ six-man wishlist – interest which is fuelled by the fact that his contract at Crystal Palace is due to expire at the end of the season.

In addition, Fletcher has also explained why Roberto De Zerbi is a name that club bosses also like, though there will likely be strong competition for the Italian, whose deal with Marseille currently runs until summer 2027.

Elsewhere, claims coming from Enzo Maresca’s native Italy about the manager taking the Man Utd job RIGHT NOW have prompted Fabrizio Romano to thunder in with an update of his own.

Since Amorim’s dismissal, United have been linked with a plethora of managerial options. In light of that, our resident United expert has ranked 18 of those most suited to the job – and you may be surprised to see that the current favourite, Glasner, only lands in NINTH place on his long list.