Manchester United news LIVE: Mauricio Pochettino keen on job, Michael Carrick press conference
The Red Devils have appointed Michael Carrick to lead the team on an interim basis for the Champions League match against Villarreal on Tuesday
Manchester United begin the post-Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era this week with interim boss Michael Carrick primed to take charge of the team for their Champions League match against Villarreal on Tuesday.
Following one of the worst displays of the Norwegian’s tenure, going down 4-1 at Watford, United have opted for a change, leaving a complicated legacy for Solskjaer due to his failure to deliver silverware.
It had been a long time coming, too, with The Independent learning that the 48-year-old was made aware that he was under renewed pressure ahead of the trip to Vicarage Road, with United chiefs increasingly concerned about the mood of the players, made worse by the damaging defeat to Manchester City in the derby at Old Trafford. Cristiano Ronaldo’s feelings appear to have ultimately been relevant in the decision too, with the Portuguese superstar growing increasingly agitated by the worrying decline, feelings replicated by his compatriot Bruno Fernandes.
In terms of a longer term interim appointment, rather than an immediate long-term successor, Laurent Blanc has emerged as a strong candidate, before the club make a permanent decision on a figure such as Ajax’s Erik ten Hag in the summer. Blanc was mooted as an option when Solskjaer first arrived to stand in for Jose Mourinho in December 2018, and he has a good relationship with the hierarchy and Sir Alex Ferguson having spent two years at United as a player.
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Roy Keane could ‘do a job’ as interim Man United boss
It’s unlikely to be the case, but another former player who has been mentioned in connection with the interim role at Old Trafford is Roy Keane. He was Alex Ferguson’s captain for years and won a vast collection of silverware as a player, but has not been in a coaching role since ending his time as Republic of Ireland assistant boss.
Now a Sky regular as a pundit, one of his colleagues Micah Richards suggested he could bring much of what the club require right now - but his on-air comments about under-performing players at the Manchester United means Keane is perhaps a case of right person, wrong time.
“I mean, probably not at this time. I think Roy Keane would be a great manager,” Richards said. “I’m not saying it couldn’t do it. I’m talking about the relationship with the players.
“He’s slagged off half the dressing room!
“But in terms of what they need, I think he could do a job. Course he could do a job.”
Gary Neville: New manager must ‘build from roots up’ at Manchester United
The right appointments in the hierarchy are required more than a playing staff overhaul, Neville continued.
“You can achieve the values and a culture of a football club without necessarily being the biggest fan in the world. Jurgen Klopp has done that at Liverpool, Pep Guardiola has created a culture and vibe at Manchester City that is special. It doesn’t need to be the local kid or ex-legend coming back home, it needs to be somebody who can grasp what this football club means,” he said on his podcast.
“Sir Alex Ferguson came down from Aberdeen in 1986 not knowing what Manchester United was; he’d never lived in Manchester and had never worked at the club before, but he grasped it, he got it straight away, understood it and put it into everybody else and created a dynasty.
“I’m not saying Manchester United need to create a dynasty, but they need to find a manager who can build something from the roots up, communicate with the fans, and understands the culture, the values, principles, the entertainment, the risk - everything that Manchester United is.’
“At the end of the season, I would imagine Manchester United are going to appoint a brand-new manager, and he will have to take them forward. But I don't think Manchester United need upheaval in the dressing room. They maybe need strengthening in central midfield, you could argue there is a right-back issue developing and Aaron Wan-Bissaka needs some competition. But, other than that, I would say if Manchester United could get the players they have got fit on the pitch, they will have a great chance of winning a lot of football matches.”
Gary Neville compares Man City ‘football empire’ to Man United’s ‘poor’ decisions
Gary Neville continues to have his say on matters related to Manchester United and his latest podcast suggests they need only look across the city for how far they’ve fallen behind on and off the pitch.
“I see a new 25,000-seater music arena being built [on the Etihad campus by Man City], there’s a world-class football academy, world-class facilities, there’s a mini stadium which the academy and women’s teams use,” he said.
“They have built a football empire here, where everything threads through, and they make good decisions on and off the pitch.
“Yet over the road at Old Trafford, where they have got the best asset in the world in Manchester United, the biggest football club in the world in my opinion, and certainly the biggest football club in this country, you’ve had a lot of money being spent over the past eight years, but the decision-making has been really poor.
“Three out of those four [most recent] managers were given long-term contracts or extensions and sacked within a few months. It can happen, once, but it can’t happen three times.”
Manchester United losing ‘puts pressure on everyone'
Former Man United midfielder Kleberson has had a few words to say on the events unravelling over the weekend.
“The last few games have been tough for Manchester United. They are used to winning and being at the top, so when they lose a few games in succession it puts pressure on everyone at the club,” he told Paddy Power.
“Manchester United haven’t put in great performances in their last 10games, but they’ve tried their best. Unfortunately, they just haven’t won them, and winning is vital. When you aren’t winning, doubts over the players are raised.
“It's very difficult for Manchester United, but it’s up to the players as a team to change that. It won’t be easy. It's going to be very hard for them, but this is a good challenge for a big club like United.”
He also appears to feel the club’s veteran front pairing should be the ideal one at present:
“Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo make a top-class combination up front for Manchester United. Cavani had a superb game against Tottenham Hotspur, and everybody knows about the quality he possesses.
“He works well with Cristiano Ronaldo and although he’s not as quick or mobile as some of Manchester United’s other strikers, he’s the player who always tries to make something happen in the final third with his movement and hold up play.
“Cavani has that ‘never give up’ attitude. He uses his strength and power to fight for the ball, open up space and create chances. Cavani’s ability to occupy centre backs gives Ronaldo more space and more freedom to run in behind, up front.”
Steve Bruce ‘very keen’ on short-term Manchester United role
A new name in the frame for the remainder of the season: recently sacked Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce is “very keen” on the role of interim boss and “believes he could help stabilise the dressing room”, reports the Athletic.
The former Man United centre-back was removed from his role at St. James’ Park shortly after the recent takeover, following his 1000th match as a manager. Given he was in the relegation zone and without a win all season at the time, it feels improbable that his 1001st game would be in charge at Old Trafford, but stranger things have happened.
Manchester United’s January transfer rumours
Of course, with a new manager comes new opportunities for some players - and Donny van de Beek might be one who isn’t overly concerned at Solskjaer’s departure, given he hardly featured for most of his tenure.
He did score the last goal under the Norwegian, ironically, after netting off the bench in the hammering by Watford.
Spanish media rumours have been linking him with Barcelona over the past few weeks, but today Sport are reporting that new head coach Xavi Hernandez has told the club that he doesn’t need or want a new midfielder, including Van de Beek, and would rather the Camp Nou club strengthen elsewhere.
Manchester United switch focus to Champions League
Michael Carrick leading the team, the players have made their farewell comments on social media and the outgoing boss has given his rather unexpected exit interview.
Now it’s time to move on for United...
The end of Solskjaer’s reign at Manchester United
While the longer-term thinking is of course about who will replace Solskjaer and what United become next, there’s a more immediate issue: they have to start winning games. Two Champions League group stage matches remain and their Premier League placing makes for unhappy reading for fans too - they’re down to eighth and could be easily in the bottom half before they next play, which is away to Chelsea next Sunday evening.
Solskjaer’s most recent run of results highlight how much work there is needing to be done on the training ground to turn things around:
Drew 1-1 vs Everton
Lost 4-2 vs Leicester
Won 3-2 vs Atalanta
Lost 5-0 vs Liverpool
Won 3-0 vs Tottenham
Drew 2-2 vs Atalanta
Lost 2-0 vs Man City
Lost 4-1 vs Watford
Eight ‘points’ across two competitions from the last eight games.
Four points taken in the Premier League from the last 21 available.
The turnaround has to come very quickly indeed if the season isn’t to slip away entirely.
Latest odds on Solskjaer replacement at Manchester United
So after all the initial fallout, the quickfire reports and an overnight for one or two names to settle...how is the race for the Old Trafford hotseat looking?
Here are the latest odds for Ole’s replacement at the wheel, via Betfair:
Mauricio Pochettino 5/2 FAV
Brendan Rodgers 7/2
Michael Carrick 7/2 (would United really just repeat their own history there?)
Zinedine Zidane 7/1
Erik ten Hag 7/1
Ralf Rangnick 12/1
Laurent Blanc 14/1
Luis Enrique 20/1
Diego Simeone 20/1
Darren Fletcher 20/1
Julian Nagelsmann 25/1.
There are a whole load more also named as potential successors, including Jogi Low, Graham Potter, former Man City boss Roberto Mancini, which feels improbable to say the least, and even Unai Emery, who beat United in the Europa League final last season and faces them in midweek with Villarreal.
Zinedine Zidane ‘not keen’ on becoming Manchester United manager
The rumours and reports of who the eventual long-term successor will be is no doubt going to run and run - but the early suggestion is that Zinedine Zidane wants no part of it.
Guillem Balague reports that the former Real Madrid head coach “would not be keen on a move to United right now”, while the odds on him being the appointment slipped from initially being favourite, too.
Zidane fits the bill in terms of being a title-winner, having picked up three Champions League medals and two La Liga trophies while in Spain, but he has yet to take a job outside the confines of the Santiago Bernabeu club, where he has coached twice, been assistant to Carlo Ancelotti and been in charge of the B team, Real Madrid Castilla.
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