Why Oliver Glasner needs to outwit Michael Carrick - even if he won't land Man Utd job

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Even as recently as a few weeks ago, Oliver Glasner's trip to Old Trafford looked set to be the perfect opportunity for him to audition for the Manchester United job.

Heavily touted as a top contender to replace the beleaguered Ruben Amorim in the days after the news of the Portuguese coach's departure, talk of Glasner being installed as United's next head coach has all but evaporated as he travels to Manchester this weekend.

Glasner may have conjured up miracles at Crystal Palace, but the magic seems to have well and truly dried up. The Eagles' form has nosedived since the Austrian confirmed he would be leaving the south Londoners in an explosive press conference in January.

And while actions generally speak louder than words, the manner in which Glasner has unleashed further questionable verbal volleys since then - including digs at Steve Parish and the Palace fans - are not particularly enticing for any potential suitors, least of all United, who went through a similar experience with Amorim towards the end of his underwhelming reign.

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Another significant factor in Glasner's name being mentioned less and less for the Manchester United vacancy is the man who will be in the opposing dugout on Sunday afternoon.

Michael Carrick has rehabilitated a club who were going nowhere fast under Amorim and now has them looking a good bet to qualify for the Champions League . Whether that will be enough to land him the top job at the Theatre of Dreams permanently is another question.

But even if that particular boat has sailed for Glasner, the opportunity to outwit Carrick at Old Trafford is still a hugely significant one.

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Part of the reason why is that if Carrick carries on in this vein, then he is likely to be in the conversation for other big Premier League jobs in a summer where a flurry of managerial movement is already guaranteed.

And with that in mind, It wouldn't be a total surprise if he and Glasner ended up in direct competition for jobs - even if not for the Manchester United one.

Glasner has been linked with a number of bigger clubs since guiding Crystal Palace to victory in the FA Cup final last year; while he and Palace have endured a turbulent period, he is still the same coach who was viewed as an astute fit to take the squad Amorim assembled forward after enjoying significant success with a back three at Selhurst Park.

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Given recent events, it feels like even a statement victory at Old Trafford may be a case of too little too late when it comes to his chances of landing the Manchester United job given Palace's slide down the league. Particularly with Carrick strengthening his own credentials for said role during the same period.

But it would give any of Glasner's potential summer suitors a timely reminder of why he was in the conversation for such a huge job in the first place.

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