Following the news of Manchester United sacking head coach, Ruben Amorim, a number of potential replacements are already being linked with the role.
The question is – who, if anyone, can crack the latest ‘impossible job’?
After Amorim was let go by the board on Monday, 5 January, a flurry of names quickly began floating around online as to who could step in as a replacement.
The club have also made it clear that they don’t plan for interim Darren Fletcher to be in post for too long, nor for him to be the caretaker until the end of the 2025/26 campaign, with a full-time appointment expected in the summer.
Manchester United aren't planning to hire a permanent manager until the summer 👀 pic.twitter.com/srfc1zRmND
But once again, there appears to be no tougher task in world football (perhaps other than England gaffer) at present than getting the Red Devils back on track, so who do football fans, pundits, bookies and more think has the CV and/or the belief to take it on next? Well, here are a few suggestions…
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Head coaches who could become the next Man United manager
Enzo Maresca
The first on the list and seemingly everyone’s lips, at first glance, appears to be the former Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, who quit the club in rather spectacular fashion earlier this month.
Maresca, 45, won the 2025 Club World Cup and last season’s UEFA Conference League title during his time at Stamford Bridge – not to mention the Championship with Leicester – but recently resigned following a rift between him and the board – not unlike the man he could potentially succeed.
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He was a big hit with the Foxes…but his time at Chelsea ended very sour to say the least.Credit: Timfilbert/Oscar0123 (via Wikimedia Commons)
However, the manner of the Italian tactician’s exit from his last club has raised several red flags, and he is said to have held talks with both Manchester City and Juventus to become their next boss when the time comes. It seems that merely convenient timing could be behind much of the Maresca-Man United talk.
Xavi
Xavier Hernández, to give him his full name, is one of the other big names to be connected with the club over the past year or two, especially as he has also won a couple bits of silverware since retiring and moving into management.
The Barcelona and Spain legend lifted the La Liga trophy and the Spanish Super Cup in 2023, helping them get back to winning ways after a tricky albeit relatively brief blip in their long period of supremacy.
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Also 45, Xavi wanted to step down from the role, but was eventually convinced to stay, only for him to be ultimately let go by Barca back in May 2024. He’s also one of the few candidates who not only boasts some proven pedigree but is currently a free agent. Could 2026 be the year they actually bring him in?
Third on the list of supposed favourites is Crystal Palace manager, Oliver Glasner, who has impressed at Selhurst Park and also famously shares the most similar kind of system.
At 51 years old, he is the most senior of the apparent frontrunners currently being tipped for the top job at Old Trafford, and has won things of late: the 2022 Europa League, Palace’s first major trophy EVER after beating Man City in the FA Cup, as well as besting Liverpool in last year’s Community Shield.
Though the Austrian head coach has been no way near as tied to one formation as Amorim appeared to be, the principles of play seemed to be more like what the now ex-United boss envisioned as his proper ‘3-4-3’, meaning he could be a good fit for the squad now in place.
On the other hand, is this the kind of setup INEOS want to try and stick with after struggling to make things click thus far?
Some other individuals being suggested include Roberto De Zerbi, who was reportedly touted by Man United in the past during his tenure at Brighton, as well as Thomas Tuchel.
However, both are still at the relative start of their own sporting projects with Marseille and the Three Lions, respectively.
Rumours have also been rumbling around two other very FA-esque picks, such as Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe and, rather fittingly, the former national team leader, Gareth Southgate.
It’s far from the first time that the latter has been hinted at, but it is worth noting that he has currently stepped back from coaching for the foreseeable.
We’re sure a few others will crop up in the coming weeks and months, but who would you like to see take on the role of Manchester United manager next, Reds?
Iconic Manchester United pub reopens after major £400k refurb
Daisy Jackson
An Old Trafford pub that’s long been a favourite with Manchester United fans has reopened its doors after a major refurbishment.
The Tollgate has had a £400,000 investment to become a ‘Grandstand’ sports pub, with gigantic HD screens throughout, tiered seating so you always have a great view of the action, and a menu of classic pub bites to pair with your pint.
There’ll be a big event atmosphere with all key sporting fixtures shown throughout the week, including football, rugby, cricket, tennis, F1, darts, horse racing – you name it, The Tollgate will show it.
The enormous outdoor area has also been refurbished, with new outdoor TV screens and Marston’s ‘Order & Pay’ app letting you order a round from your seat without missing a goal.
You’ll even find screens outside the loos…
Soon, local artist Pic One will be painting a mural onto the side of the pub, making it even more of a landmark boozer for Old Trafford.
The huge new main HD screenInside The Tollgate after its refurbThe Tollgate’s installed a TV box outside
Back inside, you’ll find a regulation dart board and a pool table, with new competition leagues and ‘free to play’ recreational sessions taking place throughout the week.
As well as a smart new interior packed with local sporting memorabilia, The Tollgate has installed market-leading technology, including one particularly gigantic HD screen, along with multiple other HD screens in every area, and a state-of-the-art sound system.
As you pass by, you might spot a huge TV box outside the pub, which has been installed to reflect how big the screen inside is.
The Tollgate is offering fans and customers a chance to shape its future – they’re calling out for locals to provide more photographs and merchandise to decorate the space, including mementos to celebrate the achievements of local sports stars and teams.
United memorabilia on the wallsInside the new-look The TollgateA cosy corner of The Tollgate
On the menus, you’ll find a new menu of perfect pub bites, including sharing combo boxes, chicken wings, nachos, and burgers.
There’ll be bottomless fries on offer for local sports teams who manage to get their hands on a ‘Black Card’, with even more rewards if they win their game.
And all draught beer (and there’s a lot of it) is now available in two-pint cups.
To celebrate its launch, the pub invited a fellow Manchester United icon Ying-Hoi Soo (affectionately known to Reds as ‘Mr Miyagi’) to pull the first pint and officially mark the pub’s opening.
Ying is recognised for his selfless charity work, and The Tollgate plans to work closely with Ying in the future to support this.
The new Grandstand pub concept has been introduced after research revealed that 86% of sports fans prefer to watch games at sports pubs, thanks to their livelier atmosphere, better screens, and community feel.
A huge two-pint beerThere’s a pool tableAnd dart board insideThe food offering
Marston’s picked Tollgate as one of the pubs to receive the Grandstand makeover due to its involvement with local sports teams, community groups and charities.
Pub Partner, Michael McLoughlin, said: “We’ve loved welcoming the community back with open arms!
“The response has been fantastic to our food and drink offers, as well as the new technology to watch all kinds of sports – we’re thankful that our pub is always full of good vibes, and real community spirit.”
Baltimore Ravens – The NFL team taking flight in the UK
Daisy Jackson
Manchester might soon have a new favourite football team – but it’s not necessarily what you think.
The NFL is becoming increasingly familiar to British sports fans. Games in London have become an annual fixture, American football has found a growing audience across the country, and now one team in particular is building a passionate following here: the Baltimore Ravens.
You may have seen the purple jerseys at watch parties around the UK, or heard fans talking about the ‘Flock’.
But who exactly are the Ravens, and why are so many British fans getting behind them?
To understand the Ravens, you have to go back to 1996.
The city had previously been home to the Baltimore Colts, but the franchise famously relocated to Indianapolis in 1984, leaving behind a huge hole in the city’s sporting identity.
More than a decade later, NFL football returned, when Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell moved his franchise to Baltimore (unusually, leaving the Browns name behind in Cleveland, and launching a new franchise in Maryland).
Baltimore Ravens trainingManchester has been hosting Baltimore Ravens watch parties
Baltimore’s new franchise needed an identity, so it was put forward to the fans, who settled on Ravens after Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem, The Raven. The team’s mascots are also called Edgar, Allan, and Poe.
The Ravens played their first regular-season game in September 1996, beating the Oakland Raiders 19–14.
And they didn’t have to wait long to become one of the NFL’s most formidable teams.
The defining moment of the Ravens’ early history came in the 2000 season.
Led by a ferocious defence featuring future Hall of Famers such as linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Rod Woodson, Baltimore powered through – and then dominated – Super Bowl XXXV.
The MT&T Bank StadiumBaltimore Ravens cheerleaders and mascot
The Ravens had their second Super Bowl triumph 12 years later, when quarterback Joe Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens to a dramatic victory over the San Francisco 49ers. It was the final game, and a fairytale ending, for Ray Lewis’ legendary career.
If Ray Lewis helped define the Ravens of the 2000s, Lamar Jackson has become the face of the modern franchise.
Drafted in 2018, Jackson quickly established himself as one of the most exciting players in American football. He’s arguable the perfect introduction to the sport if you’re discovering American football for the first time.
So, why should Manchester care about Baltimore Ravens? Part of the appeal is the football itself.
The Ravens have traditionally built their identity around toughness and physicality. There is a sense of personality about the franchise too, from the purple colours and the raven imagery to the passionate ‘Flock’ of supporters.
Ravens fans have been gathering in the UK for years, with regional meet-ups and watch parties taking place around the country, including in Manchester. The UK Ravens community continues to organise events where fans can watch games together, whether they’ve followed the team for decades or have only just discovered the NFL.
That’s perhaps the best way to understand the appeal of the NFL in the UK.
You don’t need to fly to Baltimore to experience it. Find a watch party, grab a purple jersey, learn the rules as you go and join the Flock.
Danny Jones -
5th January 2026 
