The Daily Mirror broke a news story last night stating that Manchester United will sack manager Jose Mourinho after their game against Newcastle United this weekend, no matter what the final result is today.

The Old Trafford club have since come out and denied the bold claims but you wouldn’t be overly surprised given United’s poor start to the season and the fact Mourinho has seemingly fallen out with pretty much everybody in the dressing room.

So who could come in and replace the ‘Special One’?

Well here are four gaffers that might interest the Man United hierarchy.

Zinedine Zidane 

The French superstar certainly has a CV that would interest any top club, given he guided Real Madrid to the last three Champions League titles.

Left the Bernabeu in the summer and seems to be waiting for the right job to come along. Speculation has suggested that he’s currently learning English and has been spotted in London recently.

Can work well with players that have egos and has an aura that commands respect. Zizou would probably come in and get the best out of attacking players like Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial.

Has no Premier League experience and hasn’t had to build a defence, so those are the question marks that go against his name. United need to get more from their defence and have a stronger foundation at the back.

Zidane would certainly be a household name and one that would generate excitement from the stands and within the squad. But does he have the managerial experience to start and complete a turnaround at Old Trafford?

He could see the Man Utd job as the one to prove his managerial credentials.

Nuno Espirito Santo 

The Wolves manager and his team have won plenty of plaudits since the Portuguese coach took over the reigns at Molineux in 2017.

Santo managed the side to Championship glory last season and they’ve successfully adapted to life in the Premier League. They have only lost once so far in the top flight and have got impressive draws against both Manchester City and Man United.

Is like a throwback to a younger Mourinho; as he’s a good man manager and is tactically astute.

The forty-four year old has also managed at Valencia and at Porto but his lack of silverware at these clubs might cast doubts with the United board regarding his ability to manage at a top club.

Plus would Santo leave Wolverhampton at this stage of the season and more importantly would the Wolves owners sanction his departure?

That’s a question we can only answer when a team calls Wolves seeking permission to speak to their gaffer.

Laurent Blanc

Blanc is a former Man United player and is another one that has won things as a manager.

Was very successful at PSG, winning eleven trophies in three seasons. Had to work with some star names during his time there including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and got the most out of them. Worth noting he also won a Ligue 1 title while he was Bordeaux boss.

Is currently out of work and as a former world-class defender you’d imagine he could come in and get more out of the Red Devils backline. The success of the French national team can be linked to his stint in charge between 2010 and 2012, he managed to get the Les Bleus believing in themselves again.

Hasn’t managed a side since 2016, has he been away from the game too long? He’d be eager to prove the doubters wrong.

Mauricio Pochettino 

Could Man United tempt Pochettino to leave Tottenham Hotspur?

The Lilywhites have had a difficult few weeks and they were unable to strengthen their squad during the latest transfer window, has that left Mauricio frustrated?

The Argentine would certainly tick a lot of boxes.

He knows what it takes to manage in the Premier League and knows how to finish regularly in the top flight’s top four positions. He also has a history of working well with young British players and getting the most out of them. He also seems happy to bring in potential talent and build a team.

I’d be surprised if he decided to leave Spurs at this current moment in time. Has recently signed a new deal and will believe that he can get more from his current squad there.

But Man United are a huge club!

Posted on October 6th, 2018 by scott
Filed under: Article