Yes, here we are again for the upmteenth time. You'd think that we would've gotten used to it by now but after 10+ different (or even the same) managers/interims/caretakers, we are still somewhat surprised that we are on the hunt for a new head coach.
Michael Carrick is holding down the fort for now although, after his unbelievable derby debut, the ex-midfielder has done himself no harm in potentially become the next permanent boss. However, this was only one game but it really has caused quite the upturn in emotions as fans really feel like 'Carrick at the wheel' is perhaps the way to go.
The difference now compared to when we did it in the past with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is that the manager market is absolutely insane 🤯!
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and company will have a plethora of options to choose from all of them with different levels of experience and pedigree. Some are young, some are old. Some have managed in the Premier League, some have managed the biggest clubs in the world. Some both.
They can't complain that there is no good option to choose from.
This doesn't mean that all options are good as despite their being several top managers available, knowing United, we'll somehow pick the worst one 😐.
Let's look at the names of the potential next boss at Old Trafford.
Starting of strong, we have the likes of Thomas Tuchel, Luis Enrique, Carlo Ancelotti. Other international managers such as Didier Dechamps, Roberto Martinez and Julian Nagelsmann. We then have other ex- and current-PL managers: Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi, Oliver Glasner, Eddie Howe, Andoni Iraola, Big Ange Postecoglou.
Some eye-opening names like Xabi Alonso, Enzo Maresca, Xavi, Zinedine Zidane and perhaps the most outrageous of them all, Jurgen Klopp 👀.
We're still going ⬇
Ernesto Valverde whom United beat 7-1 on aggregate in last season's Europa League, Antonio Conte (loads of ex-Chelsea managers btw) Cesc Fabregas (ex-Chelsea player), a man who's been forever linked with United since INEOS' 29% takeover in Sir Gareth Southgate (how is this guy a knight?!), and the man who is currently in the dugout, Michael Carrick.
Admittedly, not all these managers' contracts expire at the end of the season. Some in a year, others in two but if United acted like the big club they are, we would make them available now. It's not as if we haven't done this before. Ruben Amorim is a manager whom United made available although with how that appointment turned out, maybe we should wait until their contracts' expire 😅.
The main goal of the club is to get back to winning titles. Not qualifying for European football. Not challenging for trophies.
As Carrick said, we can use getting into Europe as a stepping stone to achieving our actual goal of lifting the Premier League once again.
When you think that that is the objective, some of these available managers have to be removed from the list.
The size and aura of a club like United requires a manager who has a lot of aura himself and one that has proven he can do it for the best of the best. This narrows the list down even further.
This still leaves a good few options but for me, my personal top 3 will have to be:
1. Luis Enrique
The current PSG boss is said to be having some issues about extending his contract meaning that he could be available at the end of the season.
That's one tick ✅.
He's been around for the last decade managing in both Spain and France whilst also doing a stint for the Spanish national side after his time at Barcelona.
Speaking of which, managing Barca along with Paris shows that Enrique can handle the big clubs and also the big egos as there were/are a lot of big name players that he's had to look after.
He's also a winner having literally won everything twice at both Barcelona and recently PSG after lifting their first-ever Champions League title last season.
The style of football he plays is also one that everyone enjoys. I don't think anyone has ever complained about how his Barca and now Paris sides play. It is possibly the best football in Europe. We need to see some proper ball at Old Trafford. It's been too long.
On top of it all, he speaks fluent English which is of massive benefit.
2. Thomas Tuchel
I wasn't his biggest fan. I didn't think he was that amazing at Dortmund and we did have some good matches against him whilst he was in charge of PSG however, upon joining Chelsea, I did feel as if there was something about him.
One of his strong points as a manager is his ability to get immediate results. He won the Blues their second UCL title in just a matter of months with a squad that wasn't his after joining mid-season whilst changing the system to a 3-4-3.
We've seen this before 😅.
Getting the right results straight away is something that we need at United. We've seen with previous managers that they do take time to get things going until a point where it never truly does all before they get sacked.
Tuchel isn't one of those and more than that, he's managed in the PL meaning he already knows the league pretty well, which gives him an advantage. He did so at Stamford Bridge for two seasons before he was sacked. I don't think Chelsea fans actually liked Todd Boehly letting him go especially as the American's first act in charge of the Blues after Roman Abramovic left.
Along with Chelsea, Dortmund and PSG, Tuchel has also managed Bayern Munich winning the Bundesliga in his only season at the helm. Like Enrique, the German has managed big clubs, big egos and has won trophies wherever he's been.
Now the head coach of the England national team, he will be looking to add more silverware by trying to win the Three Lions their second World Cup since 1966. As he is the England manager, he will also know of the best England talent that United should be looking at in the summer transfer window.
3. Carlo Ancelotti
A man who needs no introduction.
If the first two have done a lot, then Ancelotti has done everything.
And then some 👀.
The Italian is experienced, Premier League-proven, managed big clubs, managed big egos, won e v e r y t h i n g, and now like Enrique and Tuchel, is managing a nation: Brazil.
He'll be hoping to bring proper Joga Bonito back to the five time World champions as they head off to the US.
Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers in football history. He's been around for a long time and managed clubs like Juventus, AC Milan, Napoli. Chelsea, Everton (still don't know how they managed to pull this one off 😳. COVID football, eh?) Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich.
He's managed in all of Europe's big five leagues and won all of Europe's big five leagues. He's a 5x UCL winning manager and when it comes to having to manage the big egos, there's no one better than the Italian. He's had a lot of experience with that.
Personally, I want Ancelotti because he is a manager that I've admired so much ever since his Milan side knocked United out of the Champions League back in '07. He also looks like such a chilled guy and one that you would want to play for as a footballer and certainly one you'd want as manager.
I mentioned a manager needs to have that aura when being in the dugout at Old Trafford. Well, no one else who is available has that aura quite like him. We don't call him Don Carlo for nothing 🤨.
The problem with these three is that they are managers. They will demand a lot in terms of expenditure, control and respect. From what we've seen over the past few weeks in particular, this suggests that United would rather not have a manager like this. In fact, they'd rather not have a manager at all.
The term 'head coach' is doing the rounds a lot more in football nowadays. It sees the 'manager' focus solely on the football (training, tactics, gym work etc) and he works closely with a Sporting Director or Director of Sport who handles transfers, finances and so on.
I deem 'head coaches' as 'yes men.' I think this is what a lot of clubs, not just United, are looking for so that the club hierarchy have more control than the manager.
This is why I doubt we'll see any big name like Enrique or Ancelotti on the touchline at the Theatre.
I believe the club will go for someone they can control instead.
If he continues like he did in his debut, perhaps United may look to keep Carrick in charge beyond this interim stint. He will obviously have gotten to grips with the club and league a lot better in his 5 months in charge, we see that the players already have taken a liking to him, the derby was somewhat of a throwback performance and as an ex-player, we fans do love him.
I also feel that Carrick won't be as demanding of the board as someone like Tuchel. He will accept whatever they tell him.
Southgate is another for the simple fact that his name is always mentioned when it comes to the next United manager.
Having had previous with Sir Jim's right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford, there would no doubt have been a good word put in for the former England manager by INEOS' Director of Sport.
I think Southgate is a man people like Ratcliffe admire and wouldn't mind seeing him as the next boss at Old Trafford.
But for me, the man who makes perfect sense is:
Mauricio Pochettino.
When looking at what I mentioned about the attributes the other managers have, Poch ticks pretty much all the boxes.
He is experienced having been around as a manager for ~15 years. He's managed big clubs like Spurs, Chelsea and PSG. He's managed big egos. He's got PL experience. He's also a manager of a national team (USA) and more than anything, I think he comes across as a bit of a 'yes man' himself.
Poch doesn't appear to be a demanding manager who will want this, that and the other. I think he'll get along well with the board while doing a good job of keeping players happy too.
I believe the former Spurs boss will be beaming from ear-to-ear to be the manager of United. It's not the first time he would have been linked to the job and with him saying that he would've loved to have played under Sir Alex Ferguson, that would win him even more favours.
Poch is the option I think the club will go with.
Would I like him? I'd prefer Poch over Southgate but I think he always comes across as a 'man before the man' at a club the size and expectation of United. The only thing I didn't mention when it came to Poch was his achievements. He hasn't really gotten any.
Do we really want a man like that in charge?
To get back to the very top, we'll need the very best. And Pochettino simply isn't it for me.
You know my top 3. Who would be your preferred choice out of all those managers available?
Who do you think United will actually hire?
Carlo Ancelotti | Creator: GOKHAN TANER via Goal
Thomas Tuchel | Photo by Justin Stterfield/Getty Images via Get German Football News
Luis Enrique | Julian Finney/Getty Images via PSG Talk