By Tom Sunderland

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Manchester United legend Gary Neville isn’t letting up on Ruben Amorim just yet, despite three consecutive home wins granting the manager a temporary reprieve. That’s after some of Amorim’s recent comments rubbed Neville up the wrong way as the Red Devils target a return to the big time. Paul Scholes , meanwhile, has pinpointed his preferred candidate to take over from Amorim should he be fired. The international break might be seen as a breather for the beleaguered manager, but speculation continues to swirl about who could step into Amorim’s shoes if he gets the boot. Like Neville, Scholes is keen for change at his former club but advocates for a stronger type of transition. The MEN delves into the latest headlines as United aim to come back stronger after a two-week hiatus. Despite entering the break following a 2-0 victory over Sunderland , the circumstances aren’t entirely positive at United. This comes after Amorim criticised the press ahead of that encounter, implying the persistent scrutiny of the 3-4-3 formation he continues to deploy is having a negative impact on his squad . “My players, I guarantee you, they are listening to all the opinions and they are putting that inside because we are not winning games,” said Amorim before the Sunderland fixture. “They have to believe in me. So my biggest problem is that my players believe in you guys when you say the problem of our team is the system.” The criticism of Amorim’s system and whether United possess the right players to implement it successfully has been consistent. Nevertheless, Neville targeted the current squad, alongside the manager for cultivating an “excuse mentality.” “If pundits are getting into your head then you shouldn’t be playing for the club,” he told Sky Sports this week. Some may contend the level of scrutiny differs today compared to Neville’s own career, but the former right-back still drew upon his personal experience to illustrate how even young, inexperienced talents can rise above the commentary. He added: “Do people not remember Alan Hansen criticising us when we broke in as young kids saying that you can’t win anything with kids? That was the greatest centre-back of all time at that moment talking about us as if we were, you know, inferior and nowhere near good enough.” Neville’s condemnation was equally aimed at Amorim’s squad as it was the head coach himself. The former England international tore into the players for permitting such criticism to impact their displays, assuming Amorim’s remarks are genuinely accurate. He questioned: “Did they not think that we got criticised during our football careers? I’m sorry, you’re playing for Manchester United , it comes with the territory, you’ve got to step up.” Amorim’s unwavering stance in defending his favoured formation has emerged as a key talking point recently. Nevertheless, Neville assessed United’s predicament from a broader perspective and urged both the boss and his squad to simply secure victories through whatever means required. “They’ve been hopeless in the system,” he added. “If it’s not the system, then the players are a problem, the manager is a problem, the whole thing’s a problem if you’re losing football matches to the level that they’ve been doing.” As he nears his one-year anniversary in charge at Old Trafford , there’s intense debate about how long Amorim will remain. But should Sir Jim Ratcliffe decide it’s time for a changing of the guard, Scholes knows who he’d like at the helm. And the 11-time Premier League winner didn’t hesitate when the subject came up on the latest episode of The Overlap . When a fan suggested United might instigate a change during the international break, Scholes was quick to respond with his pick. “Eddie Howe, Eddie Howe,” he said. “I’m not sure about his mate [assistant manager Jason Tindall], but definitely him.” Obviously impressed by Howe’s transformation of Newcastle , Scholes believes the manager could replicate such success at Old Trafford. Admittedly, the Magpies’ surge up the Premier League hierarchy has aligned with Saudi Arabia’s PIF acquiring the club, yet his record speaks volumes irrespective of this backing. Howe maintains a win percentage of 50.31% at Newcastle, representing the finest achievement by any permanent Magpies manager operating exclusively in the Premier League since Kevin Keegan’s initial tenure concluded in 1997. Considering his accomplishments with the wealth provided by his Saudi ownership, there’s justification to believe Scholes is accurate in suggesting he might be the one to utilise United’s resources more effectively. 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 .