Man Utd and Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'have Gareth Southgate plan' as Ruben Amorim sent message

Manchester United have long planned to replace Ruben Amorim with Gareth Southgate, says Joleon Lescott. Calls for the current manager to be sacked have intensified as the Red Devils struggle to get out of the traps this season.

Amorim's side were hoping to build on a dismal 15th-place Premier League finish last term and over £200million was spent this summer in an effort to progress. But after suffering three top-flight defeats in six games nothing has changed. With calls for Amorim to be relieved of his duties gaining traction, former Manchester City defender Lescott thinks that the club are allowing this dire run to continue on purpose.

The 43-year-old theorises that United's hierarchy are letting the situation get so bad that those who have doubted England hero Southgate in the past would be more open to an Old Trafford appointment.

Speaking on In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet, Lescott said: "What I think is happening, I reckon they've flirted with Gareth Southgate in the past and I don't think there were many United fans who wanted that.

"But I believe they're letting it get so bad now with Ruben Amorim and they want Southgate, they're thinking it'll get to a point [where fan opinion will change]."

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Lescott not only thinks the club wants Southgate in charge over Amorim but he also feels the ex-Three Lions manager is the right man for the United job. He added: "I reckon he's arguably the best person for their transition and the level of transition they're in.

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"How many people are talking about the culture at United? Which I don't know about by the way. Southgate is the only man I would say would go in there and create a positive culture. He galvanised England. Which was harder than changing the culture at United. He brought fans together. They weren't always together, from my experience.

"They weren't. I always felt with England it was always Chelsea fans wanting Chelsea players to do well, Liverpool fans wanting Liverpool players to do well. People wanted Frank Lampard to be the man more than Steven Gerrard. Whereas now England fans are England fans. They want England to do well. I think from a United point of view and a culture change, Southgate is the man."

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