Former Crystal Palace midfielder Jason Puncheon believes ex-Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim would be the ideal candidate to succeed Oliver Glasner at Selhurst Park. Puncheon, who is set to join Jonjo Shelvey at Dubai-based side Arabian Falcons, has endorsed the Portuguese boss despite his challenging tenure at Old Trafford.
Amorim's Manchester United exit
Amorim was dismissed by Manchester United at the beginning of the year following a public criticism of the club's hierarchy shortly after a draw with Leeds United at Elland Road. One of the main criticisms levelled at the former Sporting Lisbon manager was his unwillingness to deviate from his preferred 3-4-3 formation.
Glasner's departure and Palace's form
Glasner, who will leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season, currently employs a 3-4-3 system with the Eagles. Under his guidance, Palace won the FA Cup and reached the Europa Conference League semi-finals. Puncheon believes Amorim would seamlessly fit into the setup in south London, especially if chosen over other candidates like Andoni Iraola and Thomas Frank.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football, Puncheon said: 'I think it's a good fit. I've said this to people off the record before. The reason being is he went to Sporting, brought that team up out of nowhere, rebuilt himself and did well. I think, when he went to Manchester United, it's a different pressure. You're trying to change a team into 3-4-3. That takes time. At Manchester United, you don't have time. I think at Crystal Palace, he's going to have that time. OK, he's going to be coming off a bit of a downward spiral from Manchester United. But it's still Ruben Amorim. What he's done successfully at Lisbon, and he's coached Manchester United, so he does have credibility.'
The middle of the season was a difficult period for Palace and Glasner. The Eagles boss was furious that the club sold Marc Guehi without securing a replacement. This period also saw Palace's FA Cup defence shockingly end with a defeat to non-league Macclesfield, along with a ten-match winless streak. However, Glasner has steadied the ship, and Palace are now only five points behind eighth-placed Chelsea.
The Eagles could also win the Europa Conference League, facing Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals. Victory would secure a spot in next season's Europa League. Despite this potential success, Puncheon does not believe it will convince Glasner to stay. He added: 'Look, I think the reality is clear. If he's made up his mind, there's obviously some issues that we don't know about. And I think when a manager makes that decision, his mind is quite clear. I don't think I can see a U-turn. But what I can say about Oli Glasner is thank you from all the Crystal Palace fans, because he gave us memories that will live forever. He's shown us things that we didn't see. Nobody thought we'd see European nights at Crystal Palace now. And that's what we've seen. It's special, special for us.'
