Manchester United confirmed the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after a humiliating 4-1 loss to Watford. The decision was made after the Red’s woeful run of form with five defeats in the last seven Premier League games, leaving them 12 points off the top of the table.
Michael Carrick has been named caretaker, after the club stated that he will take charge for the forthcoming games. An interim manager will be selected until the end of the season before a permanent manager is appointed.
The board’s lack of competence with no strategic plan in place has thrown the team into total chaos ahead of a crucial run of games in domestic and European competitions.
I’ve ranked the permanent managerial candidates I believe would be the best long-term replacement for the end of the season.
#1 – Erik ten Hag
Erik ten Hag has strongly been linked to the job after leading Ajax through their most successful spell by becoming the two-time Dutch Champions and the 2019 Champions League semi-finalists. Under his reign, Ajax have become one of the most fearsome competitors in Europe.
They’ve scored 500 goals across all competitions in just 185 games. The team is dominant in possession and have excellent build-up play. Ten Hag’s attack-minded style makes him one of the most popular options for United supporters.
While he is extremely unlikely to depart midseason, ten Hag is my ideal manager to take charge of United next year.
#2 – Zinedine Zidane
Zidane has won virtually every trophy there is to win in football. That includes three conservative Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles. He racked up 11 trophies at Real Madrid in just six years.
While Zidane is highly regarded for his man-management, he is also tactically astute. He’s proven that he can get the best out of a star-studded team.
United need a big-name manager who’s a proven winner to compete against the top contenders which makes Zidane an ideal replacement.
#3 – Mauricio Pochettino
According to recent reports, Pochettino is United’s top target to take over as permanent manager next summer.
The club has had a long-standing interest in the Paris Saint-Germain boss right until Solskjaer was appointed on a permanent basis.
In 2019, Pochettino managed to transform Tottenham Hotspur into title contenders, yet failed to deliver any silverware to the club.
His quick-press system of football could work well at United. However, I don’t think he’s proven himself as a manager who can take this team to the next level.
#4 – Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers is the most proven manager with Premier League experience than the other candidates.
Under Rodgers, Leicester City have secured two consecutive top-five finishes and ranked among the highest-scoring teams last season with a fluid attacking style of play.
Leicester’s victory over Chelsea to win the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history was certainly an overachievement.
However, Leicester’s form this season has been shocking with just two wins in the last nine league games. Narrowly missing out on a spot in the Champions League for the past two seasons raises questions about whether United can challenge and perform under Rodgers when the stakes are high.
The appointment of a former Liverpool boss also rightfully rules him out of managing United for many supporters.
While any hope of competing for the Premier League title has diminished. United can still have a decent Champions League campaign.
Solskjaer has built a strong squad and laid the foundations for the next full-time manager to be successful.
The likes of Ralf Ragnick, Laurent Blanc and Luis Enrique have also been linked to the job. But I believe they would be more suited for the interim role.
Bringing in ten Hag as the full-time manager for the start of next season would be my ideal replacement.
However, I don’t expect the club to bring in the manager they want as the board have repeatedly failed to make the right appointments.