5 managers who could replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United

Following the sacking of Jose Mourinho in December 2018, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came in as a stop-gap arrangement and transformed the fortunes of a faltering Manchester United.

After a disastrous start to the 2018-19 season, Manchester United climbed up the league table under Solskjaer. They also overcame a 2-0 first-leg deficit at home to beat Paris St. Germain in the Champions League Round of 16.

After winning 14 of his 19 matches in charge of the club, Solskjaer was appointed the permanent manager of Manchester United. However, since then, the Norwegian's Midas touch has been on the wane.

Despite leading Manchester United to a creditable third-place finish in the Premier League last season, Solskjaer's men have blown hot and cold this season.

The Old Trafford club failed to win their first three league games at home in a season for the first time in almost five decades. Manchester United have also endured three defeats in ten games to lie five points off Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur.

In the Champions League, Manchester United lost three of their last four games to slip from first to third in their group and miss out on the Round of 16. Solskjaer has now lost five of his nine games in the competition while in charge of the English club.

5 managers who could replace Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Although Champions League elimination and a loss in the upcoming Manchester derby is unlikely to cost Solskjaer his job, Manchester United need to rediscover their mojo during the busy Christmas/New Year festive period to break into the top four.

However, if the club's indifferent form doesn't improve under Solskjaer, it is likely that the Norwegian could be relieved of his duties. On that note, let us have a look at five managers who could replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the helm of Manchester United.

#5 Andre Villas-Boas

Andre Villas-Boas is one of the most promising young tacticians in the game.

After winning the Primeira Liga and the Europa League with Porto, Villas-Boas arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2011. However, unlike his illustrious predecessor and former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, the young Portuguese did not last the entire season at the English club.

He had better luck in his next managerial stint at Tottenham Hotspur, garnering 72 points - a record tally for a Premier League club not finishing in the top four. However, after the sale of Gareth Bale, Spurs' form nosedived and Villas-Boas was out of a job by December.

The Portuguese tactician then had stints at Zenit St. Petersburg and Shanghai before arriving at Marseille last summer.

Villas-Boas made good use of the limited resources at his disposal to take Marseille to the Champions League for the first time in seven years. Despite the club's European elimination, Marseille are within touching distance of the Ligue 1 summit.

At Manchester United, Villas-Boas will have an array of options to choose from. With his prior experience of managing in the Premier League, the 43-year-old could be a good option in case Manchester United decide to give Solskjaer the boot.

#4 Thomas Tuchel

Paris Saint Germain manager Thomas Tuchel could be another contender for the Manchester United top job if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ceases to remain at the Old Trafford club's helm.

The German tactician could be available as early as next summer, as his contract at the French club runs out at the end of the season.

Tuchel is no stranger to title ambitions at a top club. During his previous managerial stint at Borussia Dortmund, he won the first trophy of his career by leading BVB to the 2017-18 DFB Pokal title.

Since his arrival in Paris, Tuchel has done a decent job, winning back-to-back league titles and leading PSG to their first Champions League final last season.

The 47-year-old has displayed impressive tactical flexibility and man-management prowess. With no shortage of 'stars' at Old Trafford, Tuchel's experience of managing the egos of big-name players like Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel Di Maria at PSG could come in handy.

With Manchester United still looking for their first Premier League title in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, there could be no better man than Tuchel to help the club end their long league drought.

However, Tuchel's job at PSG is in no immediate danger, as the Ligue 1 leaders turned around their indifferent start to their Champions League campaign to reach the Round of 16.

#3 Julian Nagelsmann

Julian Nagelsmann, one of the youngest active managers in European club football, could be a good option to take over at Manchester United, as he has carved out a niche for himself during his relatively short managerial career.

After leading TSG 1899 Hoffenheim to the Champions League for the very first time, Nagelsmann became the youngest person to manage 100 Bundesliga games before moving to Leipzig last summer.

In an impressive first season at the helm of one of the newest top-5 league clubs in Europe, Nagelsmann took Leipzig to the Champions League semi-finals in the club's debut campaign in the competition. This season, Nagelsmann's men beat Manchester United on Matchday 6 to qualify for the Round of 16 in the competition at the expense of the English club.

Nagelsmann, who has shown a proclivity for quick-pressing attacking football, is on the radar of a bevy of top European clubs.

Should the top job at Manchester United become available, the 33-year-old would definitely be one of the contenders for the same despite having a contract with Leipzig till 2023.

#2 Massimiliano Allegri

Former manager Massimiliano Allegri may be a very enticing option for Manchester United if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gets the boot. The 53-year-old Italian, who has one of the most impressive resumes in football management, recently expressed his interest in managing a Premier League club.

Renowned for his tactical versatility and intelligence, Allegri delivered five consecutive Serie A titles during a hugely successful stint at Juventus. He led the Bianconeri to two Champions League finals, but his inability to win the competition cost him his job.

Despite his Champions League 'failure', 'Max' Allegri remains one of the most successful managers in Juventus' history.

Allegri is reportedly already on the radars of a plethora of top clubs, with one of them being Manchester United.

If Solskjaer is relieved of his duties, the Old Trafford club would have to move in quickly because the Italian tactician may not be out of a job for too long.

#1 Mauricio Pochettino

Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is arguably the best man to take over at Manchester United if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is shown the door.

One of the most astute tacticians in the game, Pochettino may not yet have a trophy to show for his pedigree. But the former Espanyol and Paris St. Germain player led Tottenham Hotspur to their highest league finish (third) in over three decades.

He also led the London club to the cusp of their maiden Champions League title, but that was not to be as Spurs fell to Liverpool in an all-English 2018-19 final.

Pochettino's high-pressing attacking style of football, coupled with his impressive man-management skills, may endear himself to the Old Trafford faithful. Moreover, Pochettino could arrive at Manchester United at short notice, as he is presently without a club after leaving Spurs last year.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Sai Krishna