Gareth Southgate has unsurprisingly been named as a potential candidate to succeed Ruben Amorim as Manchester United manager. The Portuguese boss was given his marching orders on Monday, bringing an end to his turbulent 14-month tenure at Old Trafford.
United have appointed club legend Darren Fletcher as interim boss while they search for their seventh permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013. Southgate, who last managed England in the Euro 2024 final, has been consistently linked with the United job since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in the club in February 2024.
Last October, it was rumoured that Southgate was considering putting his name in the mix during Amorim's reign. Now, reports have resurfaced linking him with the vacancy, although there are suggestions he has concerns about whether he'll be granted the necessary time to build his squad.
Given the controversy surrounding Amorim's failed 3-4-2-1 formation, it seems unlikely that Southgate would adopt the same setup if he takes on the United job. The wing-back experiment could well be finished, despite Southgate finding considerable success with a similar structure at the 2018 World Cup and in his last tournament with the Three Lions.
Southgate is more likely to opt for a 4-3-2-1 or a 4-3-3 formation, although his teams are typically defined by core principles rather than specific formations. His tactical approach largely focuses on shielding his defence with a double pivot positioned behind the No.10, favouring structured games over high-intensity pressing.
Harry Kane and Gareth Southgate enjoyed an incredible relationship during their years working together for England. Kane, who is enjoying another prolific season at Bayern Munich, insists he's happy in Germany, but Southgate being in charge at United may be the push he needs to return to the Premier League and break Alan Shearer's goal-scoring record.
