Crystal Palace are fearful they could lose manager Oliver Glasner, who has been linked as a likely candidate for the Manchester United job, should Ruben Amorim get sacked this season.
Ruben Amorim has been Manchester United’s head coach since November, but he is under mounting pressure after a difficult first 11 months in the job.
United’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford means United have won just two of their first six Premier League games of the 2025/26 campaign.
The slow start to the new season comes after United finished 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final last season.
Improvements were expected after United signed five new players in the summer transfer window, but the performances have been underwhelming, with more questions asked of Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system.
Only time will tell if Amorim will be able to turn things around at Old Trafford.
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Oliver Glasner yet to commit future to Crystal Palace
Several managers have been tipped as candidates for the United job if Amorim is sacked in the immediate future.
They include Premier League trio Andoni Iraiola, Oliver Glasner and Fabian Hürzeler.
It is also understood that former United midfielder and coach Michael Carrick has been sounded out as a potential interim.
Hürzeler broke his silence on the links to United, but opted to keep his cards close to his chest as he demands better results from the Brighton side.
Meanwhile, former United goalkeeper Ben Foster tipped Glasner as a popular choice after getting the best out of his players at Crystal Palace.
Palace are riding high following last season’s FA Cup success as well as their Community Shield win over Liverpool. Glasner’s side has also enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season, with Palace sitting third in the Premier League.
However, Palace are not sure how long they have to enjoy their spell with Glasner.
According to BBC Sport, Glasner was offered a new contract earlier this summer, but has yet to put pen to paper on an extension.
Glasner was openly critical of Palace’s business during the summer, and it looks unlikely that he will agree to new terms at Selhurst Park.
The report claims sources close to Palace claim the chances of Glasner staying are ‘remote’.
Palace have until the end of the season to agree a new deal with Glasner or he could walk away from the London club.
Paul Merson warns Man Utd against Oliver Glasner appointment
Former Arsenal midfielder turned pundit Paul Merson believes United should stay away from Glasner.
Writing a column for Sky Sports, Merson claims that the Palace head coach would not fit within the plans at United.
“Let’s say Ruben Amorim was manager at Palace now, he’d have half a chance of being a success,” Merson said.
“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 United. 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 United.”
When asked about his preferred system, Glasner suggested he was an adaptive coach who picks his system based on the players he has available.
“It must fit the players,” Glasner previously told Sky Sports.
“There is too much discussion about the system. The system is not important. Habits are important, the patterns and how you want your players “to behave on the pitch. That is much more important.
“In my career I have played every single system. got promoted in Austria with a 4-4-2, then we switched to a 3-4-3. In Wolfsburg, we reached the Champions League with a 4-2-3-1. In Frankfurt, they played with three at the back before and it fit the squad.
“I always look at what system might suit the players we have best.
“My favourite system is 4-4-2 but do we have the right players for this?
“We are talking much more about our habits than the system. The system is very fluid.
“It’s important the players know what we want to do and this is what decides about being successful or not.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/geNambx