Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United prepare shortlist of candidates in hunt for new manager in the summer
According to The Athletic (Subscription Required), Manchester United have begun the process to recruit a new permanent manager in the summer, having finalised on a few names as they draw up a shortlist.
Ole Gunnar Solskaer was sacked in November last year, as the club failed to put together a winning run and slipped down the table in terrible fashion. United then decided to appoint Ralf Rangnick as interim boss till the end of the season, as they identified potential candidates for the role of permanent manager ahead of the next campaign.
It is said that United have now prepared a shortlist of candidates for the job, and efforts are being made to arrange preliminary conversations with the names on this list. Rangnick will take up a role as a consultant with the club at the end of his tenure.
Rangnick has done a fair job at United so far, with the recent win against Leeds United putting the club in fourth spot ahead of their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Atletico Madrid. The UCL is the Manchester club’s only shot at a trophy this season, and the German will need his players to step up for the occasion.
Shortlist drawn up
United have failed to appoint a long-term manager ever since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, and the club have suffered since, barely winning silverware. Jose Mourinho’s first year at the club saw the Europa League and League Cup come home, and Louis Van Gaal won the FA Cup before he was sacked, but trophies have been missing since.
Now, the Red Devils are said to have identified Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag of Ajax as potential options for the role of permanent manager ahead of the new season.
Although Pochettino holds an advantage in the fact that he is experienced in the Premier League given his stint at Tottenham Hotspur earlier, ten Hag has not had a taste of the English top-flight as of yet. However, the PSG manager has not won any league titles while the Ajax boss has won the Eredivisie twice in his career.
It remains to be seen whether Rangnick’s fine job at the helm so far may give him an outside chance of being offered the permanent manager role at the end of the season, but chances are low given United have already drawn up a shortlist with other options.
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The obvious problem in this situation is that the options that the club have identified are currently already in employment with their clubs. With major honours still to play for in the season, United will face issues in having sensitive discussions with these managers.
For now, United fans will hope that Rangnick leads their club to the top four of the Premier League to end the season strongly. The summer is sure to be an exciting time for supporters, as we wait to see who takes the place in the manager’s seat in the dugout at Old Trafford.
