“Can never get my head around”: Bemused United icon can’t believe obvious candidate has never been offered the job

Manchester United icon Nicky Butt has questioned why an obvious former player has never been given the chance to manage the club. Reality sets in for Amorim United endured a patchy start to the 2025/26 season and at one point, it seemed like Ruben Amorim was on the verge of losing his job. There were raging rumours that United were considering pulling the trigger as speculation intensified that the likes of Gareth Southgate, Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola were all potential replacements for the Portuguese coach. However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe publicly moved to support Amorim, declaring that he would be given at least three years to make things right at Old Trafford. What followed was a drastic uptick in form for United, who embarked on an unbeaten run of five games. During this streak, United beat the likes of Liverpool and Brighton, while drawing with Tottenham Hotspur. Amorim and his side were on a honeymoon but were brutally brought back down to earth on Monday evening as they fell to a chastening 2-0 loss at the hands of David Moyes’ Everton. The Toffees played most of the game with 10 men after Idrissa Gueye was sent off inside 14 minutes for striking his teammate, Michael Keane, in a heated row. This latest setback has raised fresh doubts about Amorim, with parts of the media and fanbase already turning openly critical. Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, United have tried different types of managers but none have managed to replicate the legendary Scot’s impact. Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Butt questioned why Keane has never been given a crack at the job. Butt bemused The United legend said, “The only one I can never get my head around is why Roy Keane never got a chance at Man United. I do, and he’s a mate, so it’s a bit biased, but if you look at his personality and his playing career, his character and what he did in his management, he did unbelievably at Sunderland.” “If you look at all the trouble they’ve [United] had and he still lives local, I can’t for the life of me fathom how no one had a discussion with him and sat down and said, would you be interested in this job?” Butt continued, “I just think if, when it’s been going bad, if you’d have got Roy in, and Roy’s a very astute person, he’s a clever bloke, he’d then go and get a really good coach in to do the stuff that he might think is not the best at.” “I think Roy is very much an Alex Ferguson manager. You know, he’s a manager, he manages people, he comes alive on match days, he tells people what to do, he looks at it. He’d go and get some, whatever his flaws, he’s not too big to think, well I need this and I need that and I’ll go and get it.” “He’s not stupid enough to think I can do everything. And I just can’t for the life of me think how powers that be at that football club would not have spoken to him over the last five years.” Keane was named Sunderland boss in 2006 amid the club’s Championship struggles. He orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, guiding them to promotion as champions in his first season and earning Championship Manager of the Year. But the step-up to the Premier League proved too steep and Keane left the club in December 2008. The former United captain also had a stint as Ipswich Town gaffer between 2009 and 2011. Keane also had a coaching spell as an assistant manager to Martin O’Neill in the Republic of Ireland set-up. Featured image Lewis Storey via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Derick Kinoti Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the Premier League extensively for years. His work blends sharp analysis, tactical insight, and engaging storytelling that resonates with fans around the world. Derick has gained valuable experience in football journalism, developing strong expertise in SEO writing, digital content creation, and social media engagement. A tech enthusiast with a Computer Science degree from the University of Nairobi, he ultimately swapped code for football commentary, bringing an analytical, detail-oriented approach to his writing. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!