Manchester United are on the hunt for their next permanent manger after they parted ways with Jose Mourinho on Tuesday 18th of December.
Soon after Jose’s sacking, Michael Carrick was linked to the job and Man Utd confirmed that he had the job on a caretaker basis for the next week. The honour of managing united until the end of the season fell to Utd legend and current Malmo manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer. The former Utd player who back in 1999 scored the famous goal that won Utd them Champions League back then was a surprise appointment for most football fans out there. He will be joined by Sir Alex Fergusons right hand man in Mike Phelan and Michael Carrick on his coaching staff.
Solskjaer will try to bring the fans back together, the players back on side and more importantly he will bring what it means to be a Man Utd player again. His ideas will be on the same view as the way Sir Alex used to have them playing, and if he gets them all playing as one attacking unit then it won’t be long before Old Trafford become a fortress once again.
In his first interview as Man Utd caretaker manager he did not hide the fact that he would love the job on a full-time basis. But who else is out there that could fit the demands that comes with been Man Utd manager.
The one that everyone is talking about is current Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino. Over the last 2 seasons he has been linked with big jobs such as the hot seat at Real Madrid and PSG. But this could be the job that tempts him away from Spurs.
When Man Utd come calling, it is very hard for any manager to turn down the once biggest club in the world.
His style of play and the way he gives youth a chance has gotten him high praise over the last number of years and it seems like Utd have taken notice. Talks of Man Utd bringing in a director of football only enhances the chance of Pochettino making the move because the man that has been linked with that job is Paul Mitchell who work with Pochettino at Southampton and Spurs. If he took up the roll of director of football, then you would think it is only a matter of time before Pochettino is named the next Man Utd manager.
Other names have been doing the rounds on social media and one of those is former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane. His success at Real Madrid over the short period he was there is mind blowing. To be able to command a dressing room that consisted of Ronaldo, Bale, Sergio Ramos, and Benzema, and to produce world class football week in week out is no easy feat.
Could he do the same with the likes Man Utd players that have no doubt under performed in the last few months? He would have his work cut out, but the respect he would have from the second he walks into the dressing room would be unprecedented.
But this current Man Utd squad are nowhere near as good as the Real Madrid team he had to handle. There is however, plenty of talent in the squad that he could turn inside out with the right tactics and you would expect the likes of Pogba and Martial to respond extremely well to Zidane.
Another name that has come to the fore in the last few days is current Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri. Allegri has proved himself at the top with Juve, and you would presume he would have no worries with the demands and pressure that comes with the hot seat at Man Utd. But the worry that fans of Utd have is his style of football. Its is not out and out attack to say the least, and even if he did implement his style on Utd lets be honest, the defensive side of Man Utd is way off what it should be.
Other names who you possibly wouldn’t think have the calibre to take the reins at Utd are ex Utd defender and World Cup winner Laurent Blanc, exciting young Bournemouth coach Eddie Howe and former Chelsea manager Antonio Conti, but you would expect Solskjaer, Pochettino, Zidane or Allegri to be one of the names on the United manager’s door come the start of the next preseason.
Read another in depth next United manager preview from our friends at betopin.com here.
Current Odds
- Mauricio Pochettino 6/4
- Ole Gunner Solskjaer 5/2
- Massimiliano Allegri 6/1
- Zinedine Zidane 7/1
- Laurent Blanc 14/1
- Eddie Howe 16/1
- Antonio Conti 25/1