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Six bosses who could replace under-fire Ole at the wheel

Six bosses who could replace under-fire Ole at the wheel

by Niyi Busari,
Oct 25, 2021
in NFF

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Manchester United are already eight points off Premier League leaders Chelsea following their humbling defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.

Boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been heavily scrutinised in the media having only just squeezed past Atalanta in their midweek Champions League clash.

Despite having the apparent continued support of the United board, there is no doubting that the pressure is mounting on Solskjaer.

Below we take a look at the prestigious list of potential replacements should Solskjaer get the sack in the coming weeks.

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane has a catalogue of accolades as both a player and manager.

Having guided Real Madrid to three Champions League titles in a row, the 49-year-old is a hot favourite for the manager's seat at Old Trafford.

The World Cup-winning Frenchman has been out of a job since May after his second spell at Los Blancos.

Zidane would be reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo, who was instrumental during his tenure at Madrid, after the duo both left the Spanish capital in the summer of 2018.

Antonio Conte

Unsurprisingly, Antonio Conte is another favourite to take charge of this underperforming United side.

It does seem a project that would appeal to the Italian, who would have funds available and the need to win trophies immediately.

Conte was reportedly in talks with Tottenham during their manager hunt in the summer but could not get on board with spearheading a rebuild.

United seemingly have a squad capable of challenging for honours and this may well be enough for the 52-year-old.

Conte has already won eight trophies as a manager, including the Premier League during his successful spell in charge of Chelsea.

Mauricio Pochettino

Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has been busy in France as he attempts to guide star-studded Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League title.

The 49-year-old has finally proven he can win trophies with a good enough squad — something he failed to do at Spurs but rectified almost immediately in France.

The Argentine has been on United's list of potential managers for a while now but it could prove difficult to prise him away from the French giants.

Pochettino is only in his first full season as PSG boss and his side are top of Ligue 1 with a seven-point margin over second-placed Lens.

While Pochettino would be a good option to implement United's desired free-flowing, attacking football, it currently seems an unlikely appointment.

Laurent Blanc

Before Solskjaer was appointed, Laurent Blanc was a potential alternative to replace Jose Mourinho.

The former United player spent two seasons in Manchester — winning the Premier League with them in 2003.

Blanc did have a spell in charge of PSG and lost just 16 of 173 games at the helm.

He also took charge of the French national team for two years before leaving the role after the 2012 European Championships following a 2-0 quarter-final defeat to eventual champions Spain.

The 55-year-old could come in and win over a restless crowd by providing a cool head capable of handling the pressure of managing such a huge club.

Brendan Rodgers

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers is another who has a long-term link to Manchester United.

Following a poor start to the season, Rodgers has managed to turn around the Foxes' Premier League form.

This included a 4-2 win over United where Leicester gave the visitors a one-goal head start before coming back to win comfortably.

Rodgers has a clear philosophy and regularly competes with sides with vastly superior transfer budgets than Leicester, which is impressive in itself.

Having won the FA Cup last season, Rodgers is another who could end United's four-year trophy drought — it would certainly be intriguing to see the 48-year-old's capability with a huge transfer kitty available to him.

Erik ten Hag

The Ajax boss is hot property for many clubs looking for a new manager

Erik ten Hag has blown everyone away with his Ajax side over the last three seasons.

The Dutchman has been heavily linked with both United and Newcastle, while Spurs were also keen on the 51-year-old during the summer.

With Ajax already four points clear in the Eredivisie — and having dispatched Borussia Dortmund with ease in the Champions League — Ten Hag would seem an excellent appointment for United.

His famous Champions League run with Ajax in 2019 shows that he has the ability to perform on the biggest stage.

However, it has been reported that it would take an incredible offer to prise Ten Hag away from Ajax, with the Dutch side having activated an extension on his contract in April.

author

Niyi Busari

Award winning journalist, Niyi Busari, the Publisher and CEO of BSN Sports Concepts is one of the most celebrated Nigerian sports journalist of his generation. A"cross-over" professional, he combines the talents and abilities of a print and electronic journalist in a manner that is rare, even though his specialization is print. A graduate of Economics from the University of Abuja where he obtained his Bachelor Degree in 2015.

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