Manchester United

Three ideal replacements for Jose Mourinho at Manchester United – including this Ligue 1-winning tactical wizard

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Three ideal managers to replace Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford

It’s the end of yet another manager trying to replace the irreplaceable Sir Alex Ferguson with David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal, and now Jose Mourinho, all trying and failing miserably. To be fair, Mourinho started his tenure at Old Trafford with a treble, which included the Europa League trophy, the Carabao Cup and an English Super Cup.

However, things have only gone downhill from there with the Red Devils placed 6th on the standings. In fact, they are a massive 19 points behind leaders Liverpool after 17 games. A sense of unrest was brewing in the Red side of Manchester, with Fox News and the Daily Mail revealing that Mourinho had fallen out with his players, the board and even his coaching staff.

The 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield seems to have been the final straw with the Manchester United board opting to sack Mourinho a mere two days later. While Michael Carrick has stepped in as the interim manager, who will be the next one in the hot seat? Here are three potential managerial options for Manchester United.

#3 Mauricio Pochettino

 

The only reason Pochettino is third on this list is since the Argentine manager recently signed a new deal with Tottenham Hotspur. His managerial style combined with his attitude towards young players makes him perfect for Manchester United and just the right man to take over from Jose Mourinho.

The Red Devils have brilliant young players who need guidance and if Pochettino’s work at Tottenham is anything to buy, he can transform and guide them to the future. However, United’s current older stars do need guidance as well with the likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, David De Gea and many others falling behind.

But given that Pochettino is from a bonafide rival, the chances of the United board convincing Tottenham to let him go are minimal.

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#2 Leonardo Jardim

The former Monaco boss is currently out of a job but he definitely has the ability to lead Manchester United into the future. Jardim somehow managed to outdo Paris Saint-Germain and their overflowing war-chest a few years ago, pipping them to the Ligue 1 title with a delightful mix of youth and experience. His Monaco side produced some breakthrough stars like Bernardo Silva, Kylian Mbappe, Benjamin Mendy, Tiemoue Bakayoko and many others.

However, despite a lack of investments – and the fact that the club sold his core title-winning squad – Jardim still managed to stay in Champions League positions, adjusting his style of football accordingly. While he prefers a more attacking approach, the season prior to the title-winning 16/17 season showed that he can play a more defensive style as well.

If United do appoint him, they will get a proven Champions League manager who can do a lot with little resources. But the question is, will his tactics survive in the Premier League?  suggest he can do an excellent job.

#1 Zinedine Zidane

The man behind Real Madrid’s incredible Champions League winning streak, which may end this season given the state of affairs at Real Madrid at the moment. Taking over from Rafael Benitez was always going to be tough but somehow, Zidane turned things around and won the Champions League in his first season.

The rest is as they say history but it established the Frenchman as one of the premier managers in the world and six months on, will his legacy continue? He would, at the moment, be perfect for United to help sort out and get them back on track to winning the Premier League.

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While it will a much tougher league to play in, the Red Devils’ current squad has its fair share of superstars waiting for the right leader. That combined with Zidane’s man management abilities makes him the perfect man to take over after Jose Mourinho’s troubled reign.