The air in Manchester crackled with fury. Fans were left reeling, spitting words like “shame,” “scandal,” and “humiliation.” Manchester United, a club of immense stature, had just been knocked out of the English League Cup. Their conquerors? Grimsby, a team from the fourth division, who won a nail-biting penalty shootout. This defeat has pushed coach Ruben Amorim to the brink. He has yet to win an official match this season, despite the club spending huge sums on new players.
Questions now hang heavy over Old Trafford. Who truly bears the responsibility for this spiraling situation? According to journalist Simon Stone at the BBC, the spotlight shouldn’t just be on Amorim. Stone suggests that minority owner Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada, and technical director Jason Wilcox are the ones who must chart the club’s path forward. It was this trio, after all, who strongly advocated for bringing Amorim in. Berrada, in particular, made a dramatic flight to Portugal. He told the coach, “it’s now or never,” when Amorim hesitated, wishing to finish his season at Sporting.
Ruben Amorim himself appears to feel the immense weight. His body language during much of the recent match was that of a man under a death sentence, observed Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News. At one point, he seemed to be locked in an intense discussion with his assistant, Carlos Fernandes. The golden days of pre-season in Chicago last month, when Amorim looked tanned and refreshed, now feel like a distant dream.
With the pressure reaching a boiling point, some media outlets are already predicting Amorim’s departure. The Sun newspaper has even started listing potential replacements.
Among the names being floated are:
- Gareth Southgate, who is currently without a club after leaving the England national team following Euro 2024.
- Michael Carrick, a former Manchester United player who recently departed Middlesbrough in June.
- Oliver Glasner, the current coach of Crystal Palace.
Other notable figures also being mentioned for the top job include:
- Mauricio Pochettino, currently coaching the United States national team.
- Kieran McKenna, the manager of Ipswich.
- Zinedine Zidane, who is presently unemployed.
- Marco Silva, the coach of Fulham.
- Andoni Iraola, who leads Bournemouth.
- Xavi Hernández, the former Barcelona coach, also without a club right now.
