Manchester United’s next manager: Updates on Pochettino, Zidane, Rodgers and others

Manchester United have no permanent head coach after The departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and it’s unclear who the club can turn to at this point of the season. And it’s only November.

That is the predicament the Red Devils find themselves in as they hope to salvage a season that took a turn for the worse. Failure to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League and finish fourth in the Premier League would be seen as a failure as the club continue to stumble since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The club gave themselves until the summer to find a permanent replacement, announcing that they were looking for a temporary to take over until the end of the season. It is likely that Man United has an internal list of candidates for next summer. Meanwhile, the likes of former Newcastle manager Steve Bruce and former France national team manager Laurent Blanc, both former United players, are the two who have emerged in interim roles with ex seems to be a more likely option. Blanc was Al Rayyan’s coach in Qatar’s Stars League and that season ended in March 2022.

For permanent work, summer offers a few options, although according to some reports the timeline could increase in the case of one or two bigger names. Here are the latest odds and updates on the most talked about candidates.

THAN: Ronaldo, De Gea react to Solskjaer’s departure

Zinedine Zidane

Even if Solksjaer is still working, reports indicate that the free agent and former Real Madrid head coach Do not care. His legendary playing career earned him instant credibility and he has coached Cristiano Ronaldo in the past, making the most of an all-star Madrid side. The feeling is that he could do the same for United.

But even though there are reports that he is working on his English, it seems that Zidane is eyeing other jobs. However, he could be an important domino in the pursuit of a seemingly more attractive manager (see below).

Mauricio Pochettino

There is no doubt as to who is the media’s favorite for United’s enduring work based on the flurry of reports in the UK. The story comes amid speculation that has rapidly escalated from “Man United are interested” to “Pochettino wants the job and could move in December.”

But he currently leads one of the most expensive teams assembled in world football, and the job at PSG is exactly the kind of opportunity Pochettino has been striving for since leading Tottenham Hotspur to the final. Champions League with a lower budget. With the right fit of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, Pochettino has the squad to deliver PSG’s first Champions League title.

THAN: Neville says Pochettino will leave PSG for Man United

For a club that reportedly turned down more than $200 million from Real Madrid to buy Mbappe, PSG won’t just let Pochettino go. Similar to the opposition to Mbappe’s departure last summer, letting Pochettino move to Man United would damage their status as one of the rising powers of European football.

But there is a plausible scenario where Pochettino could leave soon: While PSG look good on their way to winning the French Ligue 1 title – 11 points ahead of the Ligue 1 table after 14 games – the Champions League is the important issue. A staggering failure to qualify for the group stage could see the club make a management change over the winter break in December. And Frenchman Zidane will be adjusted to replace Pochettino.

But the end of the season still seems to be the most likely scenario:

Brendan Rodgers

The Leicester City manager could be at the top of next summer’s wish list if Pochettino finds success at PSG in the coming months and becomes an unattainable target for United.

Rodgers had strong words to deny links with Man United when Solskjaer was still in charge. You can’t blame him: He has a stable position with a thriving club, close ties to ownership and lots of resources invested in recent seasons .

After two consecutive fifth-place finishes in the Premier League, is there a scenario where things could go awry over the next six months? It’s hard to imagine, despite the raging reports:

One outlet gave him the job at Man United:

Erik ten Hag

If you argue that Man United need to find a new identity, then Ajax Amsterdam coach will be right. And rumors say that the Red Devils leadership is very passionate about his work.

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In the event that United wait until the summer, the appointment with Ten Hag will take shape more realistically. The 2021-22 season can be considered the pinnacle of his work with Ajax, where he has been a manager since 2017. The team is flying high in the UEFA Champions League with four wins in four games. compete and top the Eredivisie table in a tight race against the other Dutch powerhouses.

Reports indicate 51-year-old man will not refuse advances from England. In the meantime he said he is focused on Ajax and this year’s quest for trophies because he hasn’t heard from United yet.

Ralf Rangnick

Another potential management candidate with a clear football philosophy he could convey to a club is the former architect of the Red Bull football empire. Following his success in overseeing the development of Red Bull in numerous teams around the world, he has maintained a front-end role as sports and development manager at Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow.

For a few weeks, it was rumored that Rangnick could take over as interim coach, which he last did for RB Leipzig in 2019, and then transition into the role of sporting director. in the administration of Manchester United. But with the hiring of John Murtough (director of football) and Darren Fletcher (technical director) in March, it is difficult to know how Rangnick will fit into that structure.

Other Man United candidates?

It has been suggested that Sevilla coach Julien Lopetegui has a release clause that could put him in the game, but he called any connection to the Man United job “absurd”.

Current national team managers Roberto Martinez (Belgium) and Luis Enrique (Spain) are unlikely to leave their positions after leading their teams to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Qatar. next November.

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And after not even earning a temporary card – he was a caretaker until he got a temporary card – it’s hard to see Michael Carrick, who was Solskjaer’s assistant, earn another promotion.

Then again, according to a UK sportsbook with a list of the permanent management contenders (below), Carrick has the third best odds of landing the gig. Zinedine Zidane has gone from top of the table to Pochettino, who is gaining momentum with every report. Zidane goes from 3.1 odds to 11.0