Micheal Carrick is the current favourite to lead Manchester United into next season, followed by Oliver Glasner. 

Ruben Amorim left Manchester United with a win ratio of 38.1%. This alone is enough evidence for his sacking, but his tenure was more complicated than just this win percentage with several factors playing into his dismissal.

Ruben Amorim was ramping up his attacks on the hierarchy in the press conferences leading up to his departure. This came to a head in Amorim’s final press conference where he stated that ‘he came to be a manager, not a head coach’. 

This gives us an insight into what the United hierarchy want from their next manager, with the ownership expecting the coach to only focus on what’s happening on the field and not have a massive stake in transfers or the overall direction of recruitment.

Ruben Amorim also fell out with multiple players, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony all leaving the club under his watch. This shows that United still haven’t managed to fix the issue with player power at the club, which is something that the next coach will have to deal with. 

Ruben Amorim is yet to offer comment since his dismissal, but Manchester United put out this statement:

‘Ruben Amorim has departed his role as Head Coach of Manchester United.

Ruben was appointed in November 2024 and led the team to a UEFA Europa League Final in Bilbao in May.

With Manchester United sitting 6th in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish.

The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future.

Darren Fletcher will take charge of the team against Burnley on Wednesday.’

There seemed to be a sense of inevitability about the decision amongst the United fanbase, with many falling out of love with Amorim and his style of play long before the decision.

Amorim was seen as a promising coach before joining Manchester United, and while he does have qualities, he has ultimately proven to be too stubborn in the role.

There is a belief in the United fanbase that Amorim wasn’t getting the support he needed from the board and hierarchy, which is something that Amorim himself confirmed in his final press conference, where he hinted at wanting to be more involved with recruitment at the club. 

Michael Carrick isn't expected to lead United beyond the end of the season, but that was also the case for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he was at the club. There seems to be a determination from United to secure a big name, with coaches like Thomas Tuchel and Ancelotti linked - but either appointment would have to wait until after the World Cup.

Gareth Southgate is a name that refuses to go away as well, with the former England boss priced at 3rd in the market, at the time of writing, behind Carrick and Glasner.

There is a real split between fans in who they want to be the next manager, with some arguing for a more steady hand while others want the club to take a risk. It’s fair to assume that the club won’t go for another Ruben Amorim-type figure after that experiment failed, so I’d expect the club to target someone who, at the very least, has some Premier League experience.

Of the current candidates, Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Enzo Maresca are the options that tick this box, with Maresca being the only one of those managers who is currently without a job. There isn’t a massive cry from the fans for one particular name, with most of the calls for change being aimed at the board, with the Glazers long being an ownership that are deeply unpopular with the United fanbase. 

Manchester United have been doing okay this season. They’ve definitely improved on their performances from last campaign, but there was a real element of chaos in the final games of Amorim’s tenure at the club.

If United do get this next appointment right, then there is no reason why they can’t finish in a Champions League spot this term, with there not being many sides that have looked convincing in securing those coveted spots. 

No, Manchester United are 4th in the Premier League. 

Manchester United travel to take on Arsenal in their next assignment under interim boss Michael Carrick. Manchester United have exited the FA Cup and EFL Cup already this campaign, so they will only be contesting games in the Premier League for the rest of the season.

It is highly unlikely that Manchester United will win the league. The club are 4th in the Premier League.