Wayne Rooney has weighed in on a tactical tweak implemented by Arne Slot earlier this week, claiming Ruben Amorim would be chastised for doing the same.

In hopes of swiftly bouncing back from last weekend’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace, Slot headed to Istanbul to face Galatasaray with some peculiar tricks up his sleeve.

The controversial changes Slot made vs Galatasaray

When naming his Liverpool starting XI for the Champions League encounter, midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai was deployed at right-back whilst full-back Jeremie Frimpong occupied a new position on the wing.

The former would go on to eventually concede the penalty that gifted Galatasaray their advantage in front of an atmospheric Rams Park crowd – a lead they were able to hold on to for the duration of the tie. 

While Slot undoubtedly has ample credit in the bank after guiding Liverpool to their second Premier League title in his maiden campaign, the side’s performances since 2025/2026 got underway may have perhaps been ringing some alarm bells.

Rooney weighs in

Reacting to the European affair on his podcast with BBC Sport, Rooney said: “When you win the league, like Slot did there last season with Liverpool, sometimes some of the decisions you make get overlooked.

“His decision to play a midfield player at right-back and a right-back at right-wing. If that were Amorim at Manchester United, he would get absolutely slaughtered.”

Relying on last-gasp goals might be exhilarating for supporters, but pundits have questioned whether it can be sustainable long-term.

Their equaliser at Selhurst Park on Saturday came in the 87th minute, leaving supporters hopeful that a point had been rescued from the gritty contest. That was until Eddie Nketiah’s 97th-minute finish restored Palace’s, ensuring their unbeaten streak was extended to a hugely impressive 18 games.

Denmark boss Brian Riemer believes Rasmus Hojlund’s Manchester United departure was undoubtedly the best move for his career.

This comes after Hojlund had spent almost the entirety of the summer window angling to stay put at Old Trafford and fight for his place, despite being made aware that the hierarchy was planning to bring in a new centre-forward.

Eventually, United set their sights on Benjamin Sesko before agreeing a £73.7 million deal to sign him from RB Leipzig, setting in stone that Hojlund’s game time would reduce substantially if he were to remain at the club for the duration of the season.

How Hojlund’s Napoli move came to fruition

Alas, the 22-year-old was made to reconsider his options, and soon began negotiating a switch to AC Milan. Then, when an injury to Romelu Lukaku prompted Napoli to enter the market for a new No.9, they landed on Hojlund.

Keen to represent the reigning Serie A champions and play in the Champions League, the Dane green-lit the transfer before officially joining Antonio Conte’s ranks on loan. A £38 million buy obligation was included in the terms, so long as certain conditions are met, one of which is that Napoli qualify for Europe’s elite competition again come May next year.

Hojlund has since enjoyed a stellar start to life in Naples, scoring on his league debut against Fiorentina last month and adding a further two goals to his tally in a UCL win over Sporting Lisbon last night.

Riemer ‘so happy’ for Hojlund after United struggles

Such form has already caught the eye of Denmark coach Riemer, who’s expressed his delight at the out-of-favour United star embarking on a new venture where he can potentially thrive.

“I’m so happy that he has found a club where he now starts every time. He has been through a difficult period, there’s no doubt about that,” Riemer told Tipsbladet.

“Now he is in a place where he is appreciated and is settling in. That he also scored on his debut, that’s just great.”

“It would be a huge boost for Denmark if Hojlund did regain his confidence this season, especially if they secure a place in the World Cup next year.”

Sam Allardyce is of the belief that Jean Philippe-Mateta would’ve been much better suited to Manchester United’s squad this summer over Benjamin Sesko.

The Old Trafford faithful may recall that Mateta was actually brought up in conversations regarding United’s striker targets throughout the transfer window, but the club never went as far as materialising their interest.

United made Benjamin Sesko their first choice after INEOS intervention

INEOS chiefs eventually narrowed down their shortlist to two options in the form of Ollie Watkins and Sesko. Reports suggested at the time that Ruben Amorim would’ve preferred to add the former to his ranks, while recruitment director Christopher Vivell pushed for Sesko, having built a strong relationship with him at both Red Bull sides he represented.

United went on to agree a £73.7 million deal with RB Leipzig for the Slovenian, 22, who opened his Premier League account last Saturday with United’s only goal in their 3-1 defeat to Brentford. 

Mateta, like Watkins, would’ve been a more experienced and senior option than the route the Reds decided to take.

The 28-year-old Crystal Palace frontman notched 38 goals over his last five Premier League seasons and has taken his tally up to 40 since 2025/2026 got underway, scoring against Aston Villa and West Ham.

Allardyce explains why Mateta made more sense for Amorim this year

He played an integral role in the Seagulls securing their first-ever major honour when winning the FA Cup last May, as well as their Community Shield triumph over Liverpool in August.

Even if United had moved to try and prise him from Oliver Glasner’s grasp, it’s unlikely Palace would’ve sanctioned his departure; they’ve been locked in contract negotiations with Mateta for several months now in hopes of tying him down to a more long-term deal, with his terms currently due to expire in 2027.

“Do you know who I’d have bought, more than anybody else? Mateta, absolutely. The centre-forward is absolutely brilliant and why they didn’t buy him, I don’t know, especially when the big strikers are coming back [into fashion],” said Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.

“You look at the size of the lad that Newcastle signed [Nick Woltemade], you look at the size of the centre-forwards again. Mateta is winning in a team, and winning the FA Cup, and getting to Europe, and it took him more than a year to do it.

“There aren’t many centre-forwards as good as he is. Why did nobody go: ‘Bang!’, Manchester United? Because he’s got everything.”

Manchester United officials have reportedly been informed that Gareth Southgate has politely ruled himself out of the potential race to replace Ruben Amorim.

The free-falling Premier League giants are enduring yet another miserable start to the campaign. They have already lost three of their first six Premier League fixtures, and have also been eliminated from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Grimsby Town in an embarrassing fashion.

Needless to say, Amorim is now walking on thin ice. After all, the 40-year-old hardly covered himself in glory last season after replacing Erik ten Hag, as he oversaw the team’s horrifying spiral towards the bottom of the table, and eventually finished in a miserable 15th place, while also missing out on the Europa League after a hollow display in the final.

Gareth Southgate doesn’t want the Man Utd job

While INEOS continue to publicly and privately back the under-fire boss, the club’s officials have certainly begun to study the available options, as the mentally ‘broken’ Amorim might not last for too long, and his sacking could become an act of mercy, albeit a costly one (circa £15 million).

In recent days, several names have emerged as potential candidates for the Man Utd role, with some considering Southgate as one of the main favourites due to his good relations with INEOS.

Nevertheless, The Mirror insists that the 55-year-old will turn down the opportunity should it come his way.

Did Dan Ashworth’s exit impact Southgate’s decision

The source recalls how Southgate was heavily considered by the Man Utd co-owners in 2024, when Erik ten Hag’s fate seemed to be sealed. However, the then-England boss was primarily focused on the European Championships, so the Reds ended up rewarding the Dutchman with a new contract following his FA Cup exploits, only to sack him a few months later.

However, the report notes a key difference between this stage and the summer of 2024, as Dan Ashworth was Man United’s sporting director at the time. The latter is a good friend of Southgate, as the two men had worked together in the past, particularly with the English national team.

INEOS managed to appoint Ashworth following a gritty effort in 2024, and even agreed to pay Newcastle for his early release. And yet, the director only lasted for a few months at Carrington before being shockingly shown the door last December, albeit the official statement claimed that his departure was by ‘mutual consent’.

While it remains unclear how much of his decision is down to United’s unsavoury treatment of Ashworth, Southgate seemingly wants nothing to do with the Red Devils at this stage of his career.

Kobbie Mainoo might be struggling for playing time, but his situation at Manchester United isn’t as gloomy as many are painting it.

The 20-year-old lost his starting spot since the arrival of Ruben Amorim last November. Earlier this season, the Portuguese tactician explained that Mainoo will have to fight for a starting place against Bruno Fernandes.

Needless to say, this duel was never going to favour the England star, who has only made three appearances in the Premier League this season, all coming off the bench.

Kobbie Mainoo has already won over Amorim & Co

The youngster had already requested a loan move last August after realising that his chances of earning a starting spot had shrunk following the arrival of three new forwards, which resulted in a deeper role for Bruno.

Therefore, some sources in the British media expect Mainoo to try to slip away from the door once in January, especially if Amorim is still at the helm. His main suitors in the summer were Napoli, Real Madrid.

Nevertheless, Manchester United journalist Sully insists that the England international can still play an instrumental role in the current regime.

In his latest update on the Centre Devils, the Carrington insider reveals that Mainoo has left quite an impression on Amorim and his staff with his great professionalism and overall attitude. The Man Utd coaches are said to be ‘extremely impressed’ by the young player.

Mainoo’s potential new role could be key to Starting XI return

Sully adds that the midfielder is highly regarded at the club, and is now considered a role model for every United youngster who aspires to rise through the ranks and break into the first team.

In recent days, it has been revealed that the technical staff have been working on transforming Mainoo into a number 6. This manoeuvre would allow him to earn more playing time, as he’d be competing with the less-than-inspiring Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte, rather than Bruno.

But if this plan doesn’t bear its fruits, and the youngster fails to regain a starting spot, then a January move would well become a genuine possibility.

For many managers, the opportunity to take charge of the 20-time champions of England would prove too lucrative to turn down – even in their current state.

Now, several coaches are again being linked with the Manchester United job, despite Ruben Amorim being just 11 months into his tenure at Old Trafford.

It’s thought Amorim retains the backing of INEOS at this stage of the season, which has seen the Red Devils lose three of their opening six Premier League matches and be knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Grimsby Town in the second round. 

However, you can imagine the co-owners’ faith will be dwindling with each poor result or performance; United left it until the seventh minute of injury time to beat newly-promoted Burnley via a spot-kick and only scored against Chelsea when they had the extra man, eventually conceding when both teams were down to 10 in the aftermath of Casemiro’s red card.

Who could realistically succeed Amorim?

Anything other than a win against Sunderland this Saturday would only heap more pressure on the shoulders of Amorim, who maintains he will stick by his implemented tactical shift irrespective of whether it proves to be a success or not.

In regard to the names being touted as potential replacements, the likes of Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace) and Gareth Southgate (free agent) have all been heavily linked, whilst Brighton and Hove Albion’s Fabian Hurzeler is a lesser-likely option.

His lack of experience in top-flight football may deter Sir Jim Ratcliffe, especially given he chose Amorim, 40, to replace Ten Hag, and is now being made to rue the decision.

Hurzeler put on the spot over United links

Even still, Hurzeler was put on the spot regarding a potential switch to M16 by talkSPORT. 

He, expectedly, kept tight-lipped on the matter, although he did express his satisfaction at being amongst the rumoured candidates.

“Of course, it is always an honour to be a part of the rumours,” said the 32-year-old German.  “But I really respect the coach Ruben Amorim there, so I think it’s not the right thing to talk about this.

“But overall, I can say it’s a privilege to work for Brighton. I’m very happy to be the coach here. We [still] have a lot of work in front of us.”