The future of Ruben Amorim is once again a topic of discussion, with Roy Keane the latest to give his verdict on who could be Manchester United’s next manager.
Roy Keane and Paul Scholes have disagreed over who should become Manchester United’s next manager if Ruben Amorim is sacked.
Amorim’s place at Old Trafford is now secure following United’s long-awaited 2-0 win against Sunderland last Saturday. The 40-year-old was under intense pressure heading into the game, but produced a solid performance to earn the Reds an important three points.
However, there is still talk that Amorim could be fired if his performance does not continue to improve. Indeed, Amorim’s future came up again on Thursday’s episode of Overlap, with Keane suggesting that Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone should be United’s first choice in the event of a managerial change.
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Simeone, 55, has been Atlético manager since 2011 and established himself as one of the best managers on the planet at the time, helping the Madrid club win a number of major trophies. This includes two La Ligas, one Copa del Rey and two Europa Leagues, giving Simeone a 59% win rate in 749 games.
Asked who should replace Amorim if United decide to sack him, Keane said: “I’ve said it for years, but I’d like to see Simeone from Atletico Madrid get in there. I know his mate (Andrea Berta) went to Arsenal, but I think he’ll just cause havoc, good havoc.”
“He’ll come in there and say, ‘This is how you do it.’ There are no guarantees, but I just want to see his personality there along with his track record.”
“People may say about the style of football, but they beat Real Madrid and scored five goals. He thinks he’s defensive, he doesn’t like the team to concede goals or chances, but he can play a little bit.”
“They have a fighting spirit and he is on the sidelines causing (havoc). I like big personalities. Andrea Berta has contributed a lot to Atlético’s success in terms of recruitment.”
Meanwhile, Scholes offered a different assessment when speaking at the Overlap fan debate earlier this week, believing Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe should be the next candidate.
Howe replaced Steve Bruce as Newcastle’s next head coach following the Saudi-led takeover in 2021 and has since done a fantastic job on Tyneside, transforming the team from a club on the brink of relegation to a challenging side winning trophies and finishing in the Champions League.
“Eddie Howe, Eddie Howe,” Scholes said. “I don’t know about his spouse (Tindall), but it’s definitely him.”
Earlier this week, Sir Jim Ratcliffe delivered a vote of confidence on Mr Amorim’s future, insisting he was prepared to give the Portuguese three more years to prove himself.
“Ruben has three years to prove he’s a great coach,” he said on a business podcast produced by The Times and The Sunday Times.
Asked if Amorim would be given three years, Ratcliffe replied: “Yes, that’s what I would do. Three years. Football doesn’t happen overnight. Three years. You see with (Mikel) Arteta at Arsenal, he had a terrible first few years.”
“We have to be patient. We have long-term plans. It’s not a light switch. You can’t run a club like Manchester United by just reacting instantly to some abusive journalist every week.”
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