Football pundit Martin Keown has questioned the viability of head coach Ruben Amorim at Manchester United and come up with an absolutely bananas suggestion for a replacement.
Man Utd minority owner and football chief Jim Ratcliffe has seemingly thrown his weight behind Amorim, who took over from Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford mid-season and was unable to get the Red Devils back on course in the Premier League despite reaching the Europa League final.
Ex-Arsenal defender Keown understandably isn’t convinced. Former Sporting CP boss Amorim hasn’t had a pre-season or a summer transfer window yet but United’s results do have to speak for themselves to some degree and finishing in the bottom six of the Premier League isn’t going to be anywhere near good enough next season.
“I’m still concerned that maybe this isn’t the right manager for Manchester United,” Keown told talkSPORT. “Just look at the number of games they’ve lost.”
The three-time Premier League champion has a point. United lost 18 times in the league in 2024-25, not to mention getting knocked out of two competitions by Tottenham Hotspur, who somehow conspired to finish below them in the table but qualified for the Champions League by seeing off Amorim’s men in the Europa League final.
“It’s going to be a very interesting start to next season for them but they could do a lot worse than go and get Jurgen Klopp to manage their football club,” said 58-year-old former England international Keown.
“I’m not trying to sensationalise. I believe he could do an incredible job there and I believe they need somebody with more experience than the current manager.
“Why not? He’s done a rebuilding job before.”
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Why not? Because what United need and what they could actually get in a lifetime of Sundays are two different sets of criteria.
Klopp left Liverpool last year having guided them to a Premier League title and a Champions League win during what became a legendary nine-year stint at Anfield.
The German was so attuned to the culture of the club and the city that some Liverpool supporters expressed their dismay that he took up a global strategy role with the Red Bull multi-ownership group at the start of this year.
He’s been linked with a return to coaching with Real Madrid, Brazil and Germany since starting his new job in January and rumours have rumbled on that Klopp isn’t entirely thrilled with his role with the energy drinks giant. Yet he remains in-post, as yet untempted by some of the most attractive managerial jobs in world football.
Ratcliffe would surely love to find a way to bring the former Borussia Dortmund boss in to replace Amorim but if Klopp is to be dragged back into the dugout, a hiding to nothing that comes with the added bonus of upsetting every Liverpool fan on earth probably isn’t the job that’ll do it.
