If you’re trying to work out who the next Man Utd manager will be, don’t feel too bad for being confused amid some mixed reports in the last few weeks.
Ralf Rangnick is currently in place as interim manager until the end of the season, and after an uncertain start in the Old Trafford dugout it seems increasingly clear he won’t be getting the job permanently.
It was widely reported after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking that the main candidate to replace him was Mauricio Pochettino, but Paris Saint-Germain didn’t want to lose the Argentine in the middle of the season, so he stayed put.
Looking around major bookmakers and betting outlets such as DraftKings New York in the last few weeks, Pochettino has largely remained top of the pile to be the next man appointed permanent United manager, but in the last few days there’s been a notable shift.
Another name who was tentatively linked as one of the candidates for the job alongside Pochettino was Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, but it seems he’s now the favourite.
Reports claim Ten Hag is now the most likely long-term successor to Rangnick, and he’s seen his odds slashed by several betting sites as a result, moving ahead of Pochettino.
Ten Hag has done impressive work at Ajax, but his appointment looks like it would be a risky one in comparison to someone like Pochettino, who has managed in the Premier League before, impressing at Southampton and Spurs, whilst also knowing the pressure of managing an elite European club from his time with PSG.
Things didn’t work out under Solskjaer and it’s clear that a change in direction is needed at United, but it isn’t yet clear which route the club will take in this important moment in their history.
It’s worth noting that other big names still can’t be ruled out either, with a few places offering tempting odds like 14/1 for Zinedine Zidane to take over, while various sources have claimed that leading managers like Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Mancini have also been seriously considered by the Red Devils board.
It will probably be one of Pochettino or Ten Hag coming in next, but if we’ve learned anything from watching Man United in the post-Ferguson era, it’s that things are rarely straightforward and predictable at the Theatre of Dreams.
For any Man Utd fans not too happy about the Ten Hag news, it might be worth reading this PSG perspective on why Pochettino might not be the answer after all!
