Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has firmly batted away speculation connecting him to the now-vacant managerial position at Manchester United.
Amorim's Departure Sparks Managerial Search
The Red Devils are actively seeking a new head coach after parting ways with Ruben Amorim. The decision followed growing tensions between the Portuguese coach and the club's senior hierarchy, bringing an end to his underwhelming 18-month tenure at Old Trafford. Amorim leaves with the unwanted distinction of possessing the worst win ratio of any permanent manager in the club's history.
Under-18s head coach Darren Fletcher has taken temporary charge for the midweek trip to face Burnley. Reports indicate United are keen to appoint an interim manager until the season's conclusion, a move that would afford them time to carefully select a long-term successor.
Glasner's Firm Stance on Palace Future
One name prominently linked is that of Oliver Glasner. The Austrian's contract at Selhurst Park runs only until the end of the current campaign, adding fuel to the rumours. His stock is high after a successful spell with the Eagles, most notably masterminding the club's superb FA Cup triumph last season, which secured European football for Palace for the first time ever.
However, when questioned ahead of Palace's Premier League clash with Aston Villa, Glasner was unequivocal in his dismissal of the speculation. He pointed to a clause in his Palace contract forbidding him from betting and suggested the rumours were a waste of everyone's time.
'In my [Palace] contract, [is] one paragraph, I tell you, [that] I am not allowed to bet, and I don't look at it [the odds],' Glasner stated. 'I cannot also give insider information, because then I am also breaking my contract.'
He added emphatically: 'I am Crystal Palace manager and I just think it makes no sense, and is also wasted time for you to ask me any more questions, so I don't talk about any other club than Crystal Palace.'
The Only Guarantee in Management
Glasner went on to reflect on the precarious nature of football management, suggesting that even a new contract offers no certainty about the future. He identified success as the sole factor that guarantees a manager's job security.
'You can sign a new contract, like managers did in the Premier League this year, and [now] they aren't the manager there any more,' he noted. 'There is one situation which keeps you in your job when you are a manager — and this is being successful. It is the only thing to survive [in] this job.'
While Glasner is a reported target, he is not the only manager being considered. Newcastle United's Eddie Howe has also been touted as a potential long-term replacement for Amorim. Mirroring Glasner's approach, Howe was quick to distance himself from the role, affirming his total commitment to his current project at St James' Park.
'I'm 100 per cent here, working as hard as I can, head down, ignoring all the stuff,' Howe said. 'It's about today's work and trying to prepare the team as well as we can... so that will never change from my perspective, my commitment to my work and my job.'
