Manchester United legend Gary Neville has finally got off the fence and named his “outstanding candidate” to replace former head coach Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devilsare in the process of replacing Amorim, who parted company with the Premier League giants at the start of this week.

Amorimleft Man Utd chiefs with little choice but to look elsewhere following a dire 14 months, in which the head coach fuelled shambolic results/performances and refused to alter his system.

Former midfielder Darren Fletcher stepped up from his role with the academy to lead the team in the 2-2 draw against Burnley on Wednesday and he will remain in charge for Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Brighton.

Fletcher is likely to be replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Michael Carrick until the summer, but respected journalist David Ornstein has claimed that Fletcher could still be in the dugout for next weekend’s Manchester derby.

Ornstein told NBC Sports: “Darren Fletcher will take #mufc for at least one more match [vs Brighton], he could even still in position for the next Premier League game [Manchester derby], will have to wait and see.”

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Looking ahead, Neville thinks Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti should be Man Utd’s next permanent boss because he can handle the media, has shown success with a group of superstar players, he understands the Premier League and knows the United way.

“You have got to be pretty special to tick all four of those boxes, and as such, the outstanding candidate for me would be Carlo Ancelotti, even if it would mean potentially delaying his arrival until late July if Brazil reached the World Cup final,” Neville told The Overlap.

“No one comes as close to fulfilling everything laid out above than he does.

“Ironically, the club met with Carlo shortly before his retirement in 2013, and we could have short-circuited this entire process and started with him at the beginning of the cycle.

“But by that stage, he was close to agreeing to joining Real Madrid for his first spell in charge, and so what might have been a perfect appointment never happened.”

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Alternatively, Neville has explained why he thinks Man Utd should also consider Thomas Tuchel and/or Eddie Howe.

“After Ancelotti, the next two on my short list would be Thomas Tuchel and Eddie Howe, Roy Keane’s suggestion, and one of the names suggested by Ashworth in 2024,” Neville added.

“Again, these are two candidates who know the Premier League inside out and who both have Champions League experience. Howe now has a major trophy as well.

“Obviously, Tuchel edges it in terms of experience and the quality of the trophies he has won, with Champions League, the Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 his biggest achievements.

“He also reached a Champions League final with PSG. He might have played a back three at times, but he is sufficiently adaptable to fit the United DNA and plays with a back four with England.”