Ruben Amorim is under pressure after Manchester United's painful defeat to Grimsby, and former Red Devils goalkeeper Ben Foster has suggested a potential replacement if the head coach loses his job
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has come under intense scrutiny since the shock defeat to Grimsby
(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Manchester United bosses will be praying Ruben Amorim can reverse his fortunes as major worries have emerged about the club's mentality.
The Portuguese head coach finds himself under enormous scrutiny following the Red Devils' Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two outfit Grimsby on Wednesday evening. The former Sporting Lisbon manager seemed to question whether he's suited for the role following United's most recent embarrassment after being knocked out by the Mariners on penalties.
However, the prospect of ditching Amorim less than 10 months into his reign creates a significant headache for the club's leadership after supporting him with over £200million worth of summer signings. Ex-United and Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster believes they'll simply have to cross their fingers and hope he comes good.
In the long-run, he said they should shift their approach if they choose to part ways with Amorim by recruiting a manager capable of addressing the team's fragile mindset. The 42-year-old thinks they could do far worse than installing former England boss Gareth Southgate as his successor to accomplish that objective.
During an appearance on talkSPORT, Foster said: "I don't know what the answer is, because if you look at the history of recent managers for Man United, you've had some proper big boys in there. You've had Jose Mourinho, Van Gaal and Solskjaer, when he was doing fantastic for a little while.
"I don't know whether they need to adopt a completely fresh approach. The pressure that's involved in playing for that club is like nowhere else and maybe they've got to go a different way. Even if it's somebody like Gareth Southgate, just give it a go.
England head coach Gareth Southgate
Former England head coach Gareth Southgate has been tipped to sort out United's mental weaknesses
(Image: Getty Images)
"It's somebody that's going to maybe change the mentality of the players and take a more pragmatic approach, because I think what they're doing just isn't working at the moment."
Discussing the position co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the United hierarchy find themselves in, Foster continued: "They've put all their eggs in this basket with Ruben Amorim and they're just going to have to try and ride it out. The top brass at that club are hoping and praying to God that it turns around."
Southgate finds himself among the bookmakers' leading contenders to take over from Amorim if he is dismissed from his position. The 54-year-old has been without a job since stepping down from his England duties following their defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Ruben Amorim during an interview
Ruben Amorim was unhappy with his United players after they lost to Grimsby
(Image: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock)
Meanwhile, Foster has slammed Amorim's dejected body language during United's cup elimination at the hands of Grimsby. The head coach seemed unable to bear watching the penalty shootout on occasions and later hit out at his players following the tie.
Foster, who had a five-year stint at Old Trafford from 2005 to 2010, said: "It's tough going at the minute. I thought in the summer that they've got this big, new energy, with some fantastic signings, and it's all going to be different.
"The first few weeks of the season, it seems to be pretty much the same old really. The other night against Grimsby was just the epitome of it as well. The worry of it was seeing the manager in the dugout.
"It's really not a good look if you're on the pitch about to take your penalties, and you look back in the dugout, and the manager is sitting there and he's burying his head in his hands. It doesn't scream that we're all in this together."
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