Ruben Amorim might have earned himself some respite with a convincing Premier League win over Sunderland, but he will know that the next crisis is only ever 90 minutes away.
There was a huge shift in the next Man United manager odds market late last week after Oliver Glasner's price to replace Ruben Amorim came into evens with one leading UK bookmaker.
For Amorim, a limp defeat to struggling Brentford had once again raised the prospect that his days as United manager were numbered. The only question was whether he, Russell Martin at Rangers or Ange Postecoglou at Forest would be shown the door first.
However, as the INEOS board started to look at possible replacements came the much needed win over Sunderland - the first time the club have won three home games in a row in over two years.
Ironically, Amorim's reprieve was followed by Martin's demise at Rangers and an uncharacteristic late collapse for Crystal Palace, coached by Glasner (now a drifter to 5/1 in the market).
Let's recap on the top five in the next Man United manager odds.
Next Man United Manager Odds
| Candidate | Best Odds | Bet With |
|---|---|---|
| Oliver Glasner | 5/1 | Bet365 |
| Sir Gareth Southgate | 10/1 | Bet365 |
| Xavi | 10/1 | BoyleSports |
| Andoni Iraola | 12/1 | BetVictor |
| Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | 14/1 | Bet365 |
Who will be United's new manager?
The clear bookmakers’ favourite to replace Ruben Amorim remains Oliver Glasner (5/1 bet365), after he had been flip-flopping with Sir Gareth Southgate for favouritism over the last few weeks.
A long term favourite of INEOS, Southgate has been out of work since leaving his post with the Three Lions after defeat in the Euro 2024 final. He won 63% of his 102 matches in charge over eight years.
Glasner, meanwhile, has only been with the Eagles since February 2024 but has significantly enhanced his already strong reputation by winning both the FA Cup - the first major trophy in the club's history - and this season’s curtain-raiser, the Community Shield.
He was already a Europa League winner in his two-year spell with Eintracht Frankfurt. His reputation with the Palace board reportedly soured as the transfer window drew to a close due to the club's stance on the future of Marc Guehi, although the 25-year-old's Liverpool move eventually fell through.
Like Guehi, Glasner's contract expires at the end of the season. If Palace continue to entertain the idea of selling their best players, the ambitious Glasner won't hang around too long.
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Next Premier League Manager to be Sacked
As soon as Graham Potter followed Nuno (ironically already back in place replacing Potter at West Ham) as the second manager to lose his job last season, Amorim assumed the unwanted tag of sack race favourite. Before Forest's latest defeat in the Europa League, he was close to 70% likely to be the third manager sacked at odds of 4/9 on BetVictor.
Immediate plot twist, however, as Ange Postecoglou's Forest nightmare (now winless after seven matches in charge) now makes him the big odds on favourite, pushing Amorim out to 3/1 (25% chance). Who will be pushed first - Ruben or Ange?
Who are the top five contenders to replace Ruben Amorim?
After the bookmakers' favourite Glasner, the top five features Southgate and Barcelona and Spain legend, Xavi Hernandez, as well as former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola - possibly the most intriguing of the supporting cast.
StartFragment Testament to his quality is that the Cherries have started so well this season despite having their squad picked apart by big-spending super clubs. Iraola took his latest chance in the shop window as Bournemouth came from behind to beat Fulham last Friday night.
The former Rayo Vallecano boss is tactically adaptable and likes to encourage an attack-minded style of play, which would appeal to United fans frustrated by Amorim's rigid system.
What is the Ruben Amorim system?
Ruben Amorim has been wedded to his three-at-the-back system throughout his Man United stint, having developed it to great effect at Sporting CP, but the lack of flexibility has certainly hurt him.
United spent around £200 million in the summer on forwards to be deployed in his system, with Mbeumo and Cunha playing as the two in his 3-4-2-1 in behind Sesko.
That has forced Bruno Fernandes into a role where he doesn’t appear to be suited as part of a two in the middle of the park, alongside Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte, with a stark lack of options in midfield seeing United often easily overrun.
Has Ruben Amorim ever won a trophy?
Ruben Amorim has, despite the evidence at United, had success as a manager. The Portuguese coach was poached by one of Portugal’s ‘Os Tres Grandes’ (‘The Big Three’) after just a couple of months at Braga when he moved to Sporting.
During his time at Sporting, he led the Lions to their first title in almost 20 years when they won the 2020/21 Primeira Liga at the end of his first season in charge, also winning the Taca da Liga in the same campaign.
The following season saw Sporting win the Supertaca Candido de Oliveira before defending their Taca da Liga crown. In his final season, he then once again won the league title at Estadio Jose Alvalade.
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Will Ruben Amorim be sacked?
How Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the still relatively new footballing operations side of things at Old Trafford will treat managers - including how long they will give - is still up for debate and up in the air.
We should be reminded of one key thing - they are open to making a mid-season change. Remember they sacked Erik ten Hag after a defeat to West Ham in late October 2024. Could history repeat itself 12 months on?
After the derby day drubbing at the Etihad, Amorim was reportedly given three matches to save his job. A win over 10-man Chelsea followed before defeat at the Gtech and a win over Sunderland. Where does that leave him?