By Jack Flintham
Copyright manchestereveningnews
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has warned Manchester United to avoid hiring Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner as Ruben Amorim’s replacement should the Portuguese manager resign or be sacked. Amorim is under increased scrutiny at present following the poor start to the season. United’s only victories have come in a rollercoaster contest against Burnley and a couple of weeks ago against Chelsea where the visitors were at a man disadvantage for a considerable period of the game. Last Saturday’s defeat to Brentford ramped up the pressure on the United head coach with many reports suggesting that Amorim could be headed for an exit. For the time being, the manager remains in place but concerns linger as to what the future could hold should United lose to Sunderland at the weekend. A number of names have been linked with the United job should Amorim depart, including Glasner who has worked wonders at Palace . He is a popular choice among supporters after he led The Eagles to the FA Cup last season and they are currently the only unbeaten team in the Premier League . However, writing in his column for Sky Sports , Merson is adamant that Glasner is not the right man for United. “He’s a brilliant manager,” the pundit admitted. “He doesn’t get too up and doesn’t get too down. It’s very impressive. “He’s put a team together and they are all very comfortable in their positions. Everyone knows their job in the team. “Let’s say Ruben Amorim was manager at Palace now, he’d have half 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 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. Glasner is not a good fit for Man United. “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.” If it is not to be Glasner, other contenders for the United job include – according to the bookmakers bet365 – former England head coach Gareth Southgate, ex-Barcelona man Xavi and AFC Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola. Amorim will next speak to the media on Friday ahead of the clash with Sunderland. Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .
