INEOS aims to replace Fergie’s beloved Manchester United ‘genius’ Amorim

“Where do I go from here?” The opening lines of Radiohead’s ‘The Bends’ are perfect for Manchester United’s players, and INEOS must be pondering which direction to go in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s sacking.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the Red Devils have tried everything in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

We have a British manager (David Moyes) who has a proven track record in the Premier League. An experienced and eccentric wildcard (Louis van Gaal). Mysterious consecutive champion (Jose Mourinho). Ferguson’s disciple (Ole Gunnar Solskjær). A popular Ajax tactician (Erik ten Hag). And finally, an exciting up-and-coming player from Portugal.

Although not exactly correct, the trophy has been won over the past 13 years and INEOS’ plans to win the Premier League by 2028 now look less likely with each passing week.

In the short term, United will go for the safe option, but come summer, who will be the next permanent manager of this turbulent side?

Latest updates on Manchester United’s permanent manager search

Amorim was sacked earlier this week, but a decision on his interim replacement appears to be dragging on, with Darren Fletcher set to remain in charge for Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick are in contention to be the man to take over the reins alongside Fletcher until the end of the season, and will likely be hoping that the trio will do well enough this summer to win the job permanently.

United have been down that path in the past, as we saw with Solskjær in 2019, but INEOS instead gave Amorim a six-month period to decide on an elite outsider to replace him on his retirement.

According to the Mirror, a long-term shortlist has already been drawn up at Old Trafford, with long-term target Mauricio Pochettino also being considered again.

According to reports, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and others want to move away from Ferguson’s influence at the club, but Pochettino is said to be a big fan of Ferguson and has repeatedly advocated for the former Tottenham Hotspur manager to take over as manager in the past.

Like Thomas Tuchel, another potential target, the U.S. national team manager’s contract expires after this summer’s World Cup, making him an attractive option.

Why Pochettino would be a dream replacement for Amorim

For a long time, Pochettino seemed destined to become Manchester United manager, having been named as a candidate to replace Van Gaal and Mourinho in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

The 53-year-old was overlooked again in 2022, with United opting to sign Ten Hag instead, with the Argentine likely feeling he had successfully sailed the ship in 2024 as well.

Now, even if the Red Devils have to wait until after the World Cup, Pochettino’s previous work in England makes him a dream candidate to replace Amorim, so this summer could finally be the time when the stars align.

There’s a certain ‘almost a man’ feel to him after failing to win a silver medal with Spurs, but that ignores the incredible job he’s done in turning the north Londoners into a young and formidable side, despite limited support from Daniel Levy.

‘Pock’, the man who led the Lilywhites to the 2019 Champions League final, was sacked rather harshly just months after that European highlight, but went on to secure top-four finishes in four of his five seasons in charge.

At the time of his sacking, journalist Alex Keeble said the former Southampton man was a “genius” and perhaps “too good to be true” for Levy and co, who have lived in north London since going through a turbulent period of management.

As for Pochettino, he hasn’t quite hit the ground running as expected, despite dealing with the turmoil of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain before dealing with the turmoil of Bruco and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Accustomed to working at the likes of Basketcase clubs, he previously played for Espanyol and will fit in well under INEOS, although his lone season at Chelsea was not exactly a disaster after leading a young team to sixth place while overseeing Cole Palmer’s breakout campaign.

Able to develop young talent like Palmer, Harry Kane and Dele Alli, and able to develop an exciting, attacking brand of football, he is undoubtedly the perfect fit for a club like United.

Perhaps there’s a sense that his chances have passed after coming so close to taking the job so many times, but 2026 could be the year when bridesmaids become brides.