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After a tumultuous season, Jose Mourinho was finally given his marching orders on 18th December 2018. Having left the club languishing 11 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, the club hierarchy felt the time was right to move on from the Portuguese.
Ever since the season began, Jose had endured a frosty relationship with the board and the club’s fans, with him constantly complaining about the club’s transfer activity (or lack of it). Though the fans and the club stood by the Special One for a while, the toothless defeat to Liverpool at the weekend proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
The Red Devils have appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a caretaker manager in an attempt to steady the rocky boat at Old Trafford. Several names such as Pochettino, Zidane and Conte have been suggested to take over in the summer but getting any of the three seems an arduous task at the moment.
While the prospect of revitalising United and making them a footballing superpower again seems enticing, the baggage that comes along might just tempt the aforementioned trio to look the other way.
Moreover, Pochettino is quite happy at Tottenham, Zidane has voiced that he doesn’t find England appealing enough and with Conte, United will run the risk of going through the same revolving door as Jose.
Thus, the Red Devils need to really conduct a ‘thorough’ process in order to identify their next manager.
Through the lens of this article, we would look at three candidates who would be perfect fits for Manchester United and why they would be better suited to one of the toughest jobs in world football than the popular favourites.
#3 Laurent Blanc
The French manager has been out of work since leaving his post as the manager of Paris Saint-Germain. At the Parc des Princes, the Frenchman won 11 of the 12 domestic trophies on offer and sowed the seeds for PSG to dominate the French footballing landscape.
Having plied his trade as a player during his twilight years at Old Trafford, Blanc would be well aware of the ‘Manchester United way of playing’. Additionally, his experience of having managed some huge names and egos at PSG would stand him in good stead to tackle the huge personalities Jose has left behind.
Over the past couple of years, United fans have grown tired of the circumspect approach deployed by their team. An attacking manager by nature, Blanc would bring back the attacking verve that the terraces of Old Trafford crave so much.
Moreover, Blanc will come without the baggage of controversies that were sadly a certainty with Jose.
The Frenchman could also be the answer to the £89m conundrum United boast in their squad currently. Having arrived as a world beater in 2016, Pogba has left a lot to be desired in his second spell at the Theatre of Dreams. Thus, the arrival of Blanc might just help him unlock his vast potential.
Blanc is currently unemployed and would be much easier to appoint than some of the other mentioned names. Apart from him being available, the Frenchman has also displayed qualities that would make him a firm fan favourite.
With Mourinho having left the club in turmoil, maybe what United need now is an unassuming manager who they can identify as their own. Blanc ticks all those boxes and hence is an option United should explore in the summer.
#2 Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno Espirito Santo has captured the world’s imagination courtesy his exploits with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Making a return to the top-flight after a six-year hiatus, the Wolves currently find themselves 7th on the table.
Throughout the season, Nuno has employed a high-octane attacking style of football. Playing with a back three, his team has given a good account of itself when paired up against the league’s greatest gun-slingers.
Wolves drew away to Manchester United and Arsenal whereas they were able to put Manchester City under pressure at the Molineux. Yet, their biggest achievement was their home victory against Chelsea.
Despite falling a goal behind, they stuck to their guns and produced a stirring comeback. However, the most impressive aspect about the comeback was the team’s adherence to the manager’s principles of applying pressure and never taking a step backwards.
Having achieved so much with a decent set of players, it is scary to think what he might go on to conquer when provided with a better group of footballers.
Like Blanc, Nuno would also bring back the offensive football that United fans have been crying out for. Additionally, the Portuguese is a vibrant figure on the touchline and would help extinguish the negativity that has engulfed Old Trafford recently.
With these traits, Nuno managing a top club is certainly on the horizon. Thus, United should take a brave call and bet on the Portuguese to help rebuild their empire. At 44 years of age, he could be a long-term option.
However, it would be extremely courageous on United’s part to appoint the Portuguese as their manager, considering his lack of big-club experience and having gone down that road with a certain David Moyes.
Yet, the evidence suggests that the gamble could well be worthwhile. Not many knew Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger when they arrived on these shores. And it’s safe to say that those decisions worked out rather well.
Though it is highly ludicrous to compare Nuno to the legendary pair, his attributes surely make him a great fit for United.
With the summer still months away, United would be extremely careless if they fail to even consider the Portuguese.
#1 Leonardo Jardim
The Portuguese was relieved of his post after a sticky start to the 2018-19 season with Monaco. Having led Monaco to the league title in 2016-17, Jardim certainly comes with the title-winning mentality.
The Portuguese is popular for playing an expansive brand of football, with his sides displaying imagination with the ball. However, they aren’t too shabby without the ball as well. The Portuguese usually deploys a holding midfielder and presses high up the field to nullify the opposition’s threat.
If Jardim comes through the Old Trafford door, he would surely bring back the attacking football that United fans demand. Moreover, he is a very ‘un-controversial’ figure and would rarely have any run-ins with the media.
Yet, his biggest asset could be his ability to develop youngsters from within and make them world beaters. For years, Manchester United have prided themselves on bringing players through their academy with the most famous rendition being their ‘Class of ‘92’. However, over the years, since Fergie’s departure, the club’s managers have seemed to rely on ready-made players from abroad.
With each of the managers’ signings not quite working out, a case could be made for someone to be in charge who only goes shopping when absolutely essential.
Make no mistake about it: United still boast of some wonderful talents. On their days, Lukaku and Pogba are impossible to stop whereas the likes of Martial and Rashford can dazzle in the offensive third.
Tactically as well, Jardim’s system would allow the likes of Pogba, Martial and Sanchez to spend more time in the final third, thus increasing their output.
Though he may still have to buy a centre-back, with his track record, you wouldn’t bet against him getting the best out of the likes of Bailly and Lindelof.
For long, the Old Trafford outfit has prioritised star names over people who can actually set them on an upward curve.
Though Jardim might not be the biggest name doing the rounds for the United hot-seat, he could be exactly what they need currently.
After the turbulent tenure of Jose, maybe what United require is someone diametrically opposite and Jardim could just be that man.
