Paul Merson has sent Manchester United a warning regarding Oliver Glasner, amid speculation that Ruben Amorim could be on borrowed time at Old Trafford.
After a disappointing start to the Premier League campaign, Manchester United are running the risk of a season of equal disappointment to last season, where they finished 15th.
Ruben Amorim’s stubbornness has come into question in recent months, with him not adapting his system regardless of his side’s poor performances, which leaves him at risk of falling on his own sword.
A key worry regarding Amorim has been his handling of midfielders Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes, who are both struggling to find the right spot, or any spot at all, in the Portuguese boss’s system.
With Amorim seemingly on borrowed time at Old Trafford, many managers are being linked to the club as his replacement, including Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner. Paul Merson has given his verdict on this.
Glasner not the fit for United
When speaking on Sky Sports, the former Arsenal midfielder claimed that Glasner would not be the right fit for the Red Devils, despite his impressive tenure at the Eagles.
Merson said, “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.”
Who’s the right fit for the Reds?
Despite Glasner’s success at Palace, he is a manager who plays a very similar, if not identical, formation to United, which the players have clearly struggled to fit into.
It seems like the smart move for the Reds would be to accept that their three-back experiment hasn’t worked, and revert back to a four-back system before too much damage is done.
Ideally, Amorim would accept this as well, but his stubbornness won’t seem to let him, which will likely force the Reds to recruit a new manager in the coming months if they continue to struggle.
Rumours would suggest that candidates for the Reds include Glasner, Michael Carrick, or Xavi Hernandez, if they are to move on from their current Portuguese coach.
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