'Not a good fit' - Man Utd told why they must avoid 'brilliant manager' Oliver Glasner as potential Ruben Amorim successor

As Manchester United weigh up whether to sack Amorim, the club have been warned to avoid looking to Premier League rivals Crystal Palace for a potential replacement. The Portuguese head coach is under huge pressure at Old Trafford following Saturday's 3-1 loss at Brentford to leave United 14th with just seven points from the opening six matches.

Amorim has failed to oversee back-to-back league wins since he took over the United reins last November and it has been a surprise that the club are yet to relieve the former Sporting CP boss of his duties sooner rather than later. 

With the October international break upon us, it marks the perfect time for the club to axe Amorim, whose United side welcome high-flying Sunderland to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon. And Glasner is among those fans are hoping to see in the Old Trafford dugout sooner rather than later as the club eye up replacements for Amorim.

Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola and former England boss Gareth Southgate are among those who reportedly feature on United's three-man shortlist. The Cherries would be reluctant to lose Iraola at this stage of the season, while Southgate has been out of work since his Three Lions exit following their Euro 2024 final loss to Spain. Ex-Barcelona boss Xavi is also supposedly 'tempted' by a return to management with this out-of-form United side.

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson, though, believes that Glasner would not be a good fit for United. 

"What a job he's done there - it's unbelievable really," Merson opened on his Sky Sports column. "He's a brilliant manager. He doesn't get too up and doesn't get too down. It's very impressive. He's put a team together and they are all very comfortable in their positions. Everyone knows their job in the team. He has the players for the system and that's huge.

"Let's say Ruben Amorim was manager at Palace now, he'd half have a chance of being a success. Palace have the players to play three at the back. They have the attributes in their squad to play in that system. For me, that's why I'd be concerned about Glasner going to Man Utd. He's a three-at-the-back man and it is being proven that it is a system that just doesn't fit the players at Man Utd. Glasner is not a good fit for Man Utd.

"Of course, I'm sure he'd be adaptable, and he's proven with how he handles the players, but the system he uses is just all wrong for United. Amorim can tell you that."

Merson continued that Glasner would struggle to turn United down if they did come calling, adding: "There's no rush for Glasner. I think he's alright where he is, at the moment. However, he will have a problem if Man Utd come calling. It's been proven over the years that people can't turn down United. Even though what is going on at the club is not great, the name is still one of the biggest clubs in the world. How do you turn that down? You don't.

"How many times does the Man Utd job come along in a lifetime? Just ask Ruben Amorim. He wanted to wait to join in the summer but moved straight away because you might not get the chance again. Any manager going to United would know they have their work cut out, but they would still not turn down the opportunity. It might never come again."

While Merson did warn against Glasner succeeding Amorim at United, he was also quick to praise the Palace boss and his side's 18-game unbeaten run, stating: "Crystal Palace have had an extraordinary run under Glasner. Looking back at their 18 games unbeaten, I'm struggling to remember a game where they were lucky or holding on.

"They got a last-minute winner on Saturday against Liverpool but they weren't in any danger of losing the game. It's just been an incredible run for a really solid team. They are just a really good team.

"They play three at the back and have really hard-working wing backs. They have good defenders and a good goalkeeper. The midfield players can pass the ball and protect the back three. There's a centre forward in Jean-Philippe Mateta, who I have said many times could have done a job for Man Utd. He's an absolute handful and he leads the line brilliantly. They have had a long line of dangerous wingers, some who have now been sold on, but they continue performing. It's phenomenal."