Nicky Butt has warned a manager who Gary Neville called “incredible” not to take the Manchester United job, saying “it could ruin him.”
Respite for Amorim after Sunderland victory
The 2-0 victory over newly-promoted Sunderland prior to the international break provided Ruben Amorim with a little respite, but there will be much tougher tests to come in the coming weeks, with a daunting trip to Anfield this Sunday up first.
There has been plenty of speculation about Amorim’s future already this season, with Jamie Carragher suggesting the writing may already be on the wall, given that the 40-year-old simply isn’t a good fit for Man United.
Carragher said: “What he did at Sporting Lisbon was fantastic. But bringing a manager like that in with the system he plays I don’t think ever suited a club like Manchester United with the traditions at Manchester United.
“We are just waiting for the inevitable, unfortunately, because you don’t want people to lose their jobs. But this [Amorim’s time in charge] has to end as quickly as possible.”
It appears as though Sir Jim Ratcliffe is very committed to the Amorim project, however, having recently insisted he wants to give the Portuguese coach three years to prove himself.
That said, if there is not a major improvement in performances and results, it is very difficult to envisage the United boss lasting that long, and the rumour mill about potential replacements is already in full swing.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Paddy McGuinness recently asked Paul Scholes and Butt whether they’d like to see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer return to Old Trafford, but the latter was emphatic in his response, stating his former teammate shouldn’t consider the move.
The former Man United midfielder said: “The hard thing for Ole would be, if you come back the second time – it could ruin him. It won’t because of his legacy at the football club, but you could bring prime Sir Alex or Jose in at the minute and they wouldn’t be able to do anything with that squad. So for me, I hope it wouldn’t happen.”
Appointing "incredible" Ole would be step backwards
It is undeniable that Ole is one of the Red Devils’ best managers post Sir Alex Ferguson, with the Norwegian leading them to a second-placed finish in the 2020-21 campaign, but it would be a step backwards to bring him back to Old Trafford.
United sacked the 52-year-old back in November 2021, after failing to win a trophy in nearly three years as manager, and he has since failed to make an impact at Besiktas, with the Turkish club dismissing the former striker back in August.
As such, despite being lauded as “incredible” by Neville for the job he did at Man United last time around, Ole shouldn’t be considered as a replacement for Amorim, who rakes in £6.5m-per-year.
