Manchester United urged to follow Sheffield Utd by reappointing former manager

Manchester United have been urged to follow Sheffield United’s example by turning to a former manager in an attempt to revive their fortunes.

Chris Wilder made a surprise return to Bramall Lane earlier this week, just three months after he was sacked and replaced by Rubén Sellés. 

The Spanish manager presided over a dismal sequence of results, losing six straight games to leave the Blades bottom of the Championship table and out of the League Cup. 

Wilder, who started his senior career at the club and later returned for a second period as a player, has twice previously managed the club and the 57-year-old made it clear that he agreed to return for a third time because “it’s my football club and we’re bottom of the division”.

While Manchester United have not quite reached that nadir, a poor start to the season has yielded just four points from four Premier League games and a humiliating League Cup exit to Grimsby Town.

It follows an abject campaign last term, when the 20-time league champions finished in 15th place, and speculation about the future of United manager Ruben Amorim is growing daily. 

‘I can’t believe Ruben Amorim is still in charge at Manchester United’

Since the 40-year-old’s arrival at Old Trafford last November, the club has averaged a point a game, and former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes the hierarchy should take a leaf out of the Bramall Lane book by turning to former player Ole Gunnar Solskjær, the Norwegian who managed United for almost three years before he was sacked in November 2021.

“This is the worst Man United team I’ve seen,” O’Hara told talkSPORT. “Honestly, I can’t believe Ruben Amorim is still in charge. When are they going to let it go? 

“When are they going to just do what Sheffield United have done, just swallow their pride [and say], ‘We got this wrong?’ Get Ole back, get Ole back in. They can’t carry on doing this. They’ll go down, they’ll be playing Rotherham next season.”

Manchester United’s record under Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Solskjær, who was sacked by Turkish club Besiktas last month, scored 126 goals over the course of his 11 seasons at Old Trafford before returning to the club as manager, initially on an interim basis, in December 2018. 

United initially showed steady improvement under his stewardship, finishing sixth, third and second as well as reaching the Europa League final. But a run of poor form that brought just one victory from seven games saw him sacked with the club seventh in the Premier League table. 

Despite O’Hara’s characteristically forthright backing of Solskjær, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is the bookies’ favourite to replace Amorim, followed by Gareth Southgate and Xavi Hernandez. The Norwegian is a best-priced 12/1.

While senior United officials have indicated that Amorim retains the club’s backing, it is understood that the situation will be reviewed during next month’s international break, with results in forthcoming games against Chelsea, Brentford and Sunderland potentially determining his future.