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Jose Mourinho seems to have neared his time at Manchester United. There are symptoms of his third season syndrome everywhere. For starters, he refuses to abandon his negative tactics and his team selections are a mess.
He still seems unaware of his first team and favours players who are defensively stronger even for the attacking positions. Next, like in his past, Mourinho has fallen out with quite a few players at Manchester United and the motivation in the team looks to be at an all-time low.
On the other hand, his refusal to nurture youth is an antithesis of the Manchester United way. How can one explain that Lingard and Fellaini get to be in the team, whereas Martial and Rashford miss out continuously? And the most important of it all, Manchester United under Mourinho have lost their identity.
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United no longer play the most beautiful football in the league, they do not excite under the Portuguese. Manchester United no longer thrill, they no longer rouse spectators, they no longer electrify the stands and this is why change is urgently required.
United ended last season second in the league, but were without a trophy again and were sometimes alarmingly poor on the field. Things have not changed for the good this season, however, it looks like even good players are on a downward slide.
United have already lost 3 and drawn 1 of their 7 games this season and are already out of the League Cup. While not everything can be put on Mourinho’s head, it is without doubt increasingly clear that the Portuguese is incapable of turning things around. A second season sans silverware would be diabolical, it would also push United to a position where the entire stature of the club would be at risk and a comeback would be costly and time-consuming.
As such, Mourinho needs to go and if the United board are in the lookout for a replacement, there are 4 successful managers who are currently unattached to managerial jobs. Each of them would bring something different to Old Trafford and would certainly be a better option to hold the reins at Old Trafford than the Portuguese.
#4 Antonio Conte
The Italian has the recipe to be successful at Old Trafford and is proven in the league – he has won a trophy in each of his two seasons in the Premier League. Conte won the Premier League title in his debut season with Chelsea and then the FA Cup last season before he was dismissed. The Italian has since been linked with a lot of management roles in various leagues but has managed to stay unattached.
The 49-year-old has been largely successful in his managerial career. Before Chelsea, he spent 3 successful years at Juventus, where he won 3 Serie A titles and 2 Supercoppa Italiana. It was also at Turin that he took a youngster named Paul Pogba under his wings and turned him into a world class midfielder. Conte could be a good fit for Manchester United, but there are a few worries too, especially since he has not found success in Europe as a manager.
First, he tends to set his team in a 3-5-2, and United do not have the players right now to flourish under this system. Second, he cultures an inclination towards a defensive game, typical of the Italian style of football and this might not appeal to United. Last, at Chelsea, Conte showed that he does have a tendency to lose the change room, like a certain Portuguese himself!
Antonio Conte is a lot like a young Jose Mourinho without most of his negativity and as such, his appointment does have an inherent risk with it. But there’s no denying that the Italian has the qualities to succeed at Old Trafford.
What the Papers say: Paddy power has recently slashed the odds of Conte taking over from Mourinho from 14/1 to 5/1, however, there are no concrete news yet. Meanwhile, the Italian is currently linked with a return to the Serie A with Roma.
#3 Laurent Blanc
The former Manchester United player is currently unattached to a managerial position and could be a great addition to Old Trafford because he is familiar with the ways of the club. And there’s a glowing testimonial to the Frenchman’s managerial qualities, by none other than the Legendary Sir Alex Ferguson himself, in an interview in 2012. Blanc was supposedly even in contention for the United job on Sir Alex’s advise, at the end of the 2013/14 season, but the United Board opted for Van Gaal.
It is not hard to see why the legendary Scot had such high regards for the French defender. A World Cup and Euro winner, Blanc spent two years at United and was an integral part of the United team that won the 2002/03 Premier League. Blanc has been quite successful in his managerial career too, winning the Ligue 1 with Bordeaux and 3 back to back Ligue 1 titles with PSG, including a host of other trophies in France, becoming one of the most successful managers at PSG.
The only concern with his appointment would be the lack of European success, but Blanc is an exceptional leader and he is certainly the type of character United need right now. His knowledge of the Premier League would be an added bonus, but it must be said that the league has changed a lot since he last played here.
Manchester United would certainly be benefited by the presence of Laurent Blanc at the helm of matters at Old Trafford. It remains to be seen if the United Board are willing to take a little risk and invest on the Frenchman – an investment which certainly has the potential to return its weight in gold.
What the papers say: By the end of August, the odds of Blanc replacing Mourinho at Manchester United had been cut from 25/1 to just 8/1. There are no other rumours in the papers as of now.
#2 Arsene Wenger
Because, why not? Arsene Wenger is, after all, the most successful manager in the Premier League after Sir Alex Ferguson, winning 3 Premier League titles, 7 FA Cups and 7 Community Shield, in a 22-year reign at Arsenal. He is the most successful manager in the history of Arsenal and his arrival at England is still considered to be one of the most influential moments in the Premier League. Incidentally, the French manager is currently not attached to a managerial position.
Appointing Arsene Wenger would provide stability and a return to the Manchester United way of playing. Old Trafford would be buzzing with fast, skilful and counter-attacking football that would thrill fans again. And Wenger believes in the same youth policy that has been the backbone of United’s success over the years. His arrival would inspire youngsters like Pogba, Martial, Rashford and Pereira with renewed hope. He could get the best out of Dalot and Shaw and there are chances that even Chong and Andre Gomes would finally be involved. Seems too good to be true, right? That is because Arsene’s appointment is not without loopholes either.
The most glaring worry would be Arsene’s lack of success in Europe. Manchester United are desperately in need of a Champions League title, but is the former Gunners manager the right man to bring the trophy home? There are doubts. Also, the manager is a little out of the current era and had failed to adapt his game with the changing times during the later part of his managerial career, so it could mean that he might fail to have an impact at Old Trafford. Also his age – he turns 69 next month – could be a deal breaker.
However, it is hard to deny that Arsene Wenger would be a good fit for Manchester United. He has managed big egos before and made them work in a group, so there’s no reason why he cannot do it again. Additionally, having him around for a couple of years until someone like Ryan Giggs or even Michael Carrick are ready to take over the responsibilities could also appeal to Manchester United.
What the papers say: Arsene Wenger has not retired from management, but is not sure when and where he will return. Football pundits have debated that Wenger would be a good choice at Old Trafford, but the Frenchman is not linked to United at all.
#1 Zinedine Zidane
If it is European success that United crave, they need to look no further than Zinedine Zidane. Arguably one of the greatest players to grace the beautiful game, Zidane made a fruitful transition from playing to management. During his time at Real Madrid, Zidane oversaw 149 games for Real Madrid as a manager, losing just 16 games with a fantastic 69.8 win percentage.
He won 1 La Liga title, 1 Supercopa de Espana, 2 UEFA Supercups, 2 FIFA World Cups and 3 Champions League trophies. Few managers in the world have achieved such glory in such a short time and as such, it is only obvious that Zidane would excite Manchester United.
The Frenchman would demand respect from his players, owing to the fact that he has achieved almost everything both as a player and a manager. His fondness of the attacking style of play would certainly suit Manchester United. His popularity around the world would also be commercially viable for the Manchester United marketing team.
And he has the experience of handing some of the best players in the world, so there would be no questions of ego playing spoilsport in his reign. The cherry on the top is that he is currently unattached to any club. However, even Zidane’s appointment has some risks associated with it.
Zidane would be arriving at an entirely different league, one he has not experienced either as a player or a manager and there are chances that it could be overwhelming for him. Also, he was in charge of a team of world-class players at Real Madrid and the Manchester United squad hardly replicates such qualities.
His formula of success at the Bernabeu might not work at Old Trafford. Last, he had been associated with Real Madrid for a long time and the knowledge of the functioning of the club must have helped him immensely. There would be no such advantages at United.
But even the sceptics would agree that Zinedine Zidane is the most qualified for the Manchester United job right now. His arrival would usher a new dawn at Old Trafford, his presence would revitalize the team and the fans. It would be a match made in heaven and by the look of things, it might not be long before Old Trafford can regularly witness Zizou magic, week in, week out.
What the papers say: The Frenchman was recently pictured in London, with his wife, which sent the British media and United fans into overdrive, however, Zidane was in town to attend the FIFA’s Best awards and did not take the train to Manchester. There are also reports that he could become the first coach at Inter Miami in the MLS. However, Zidane remains the bookie’s favourite to replace Mourinho at Manchester United.
Which of the four managers will be most suited for Manchester United? Let us know in the comments.
