With just two games into the new season, the pressure is already mounting on Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. Their lacklustre performance against Brighton And Hove Albion has left a lot to be desired, and many are of the opinion that the team would do well even to finish in the top four. They won their first game against Leicester City but, it was far from a convincing performance and the Seagulls gave them a real lesson regarding how to press and play on the front foot.
More than the result, the manner in which the team went down has been a concern for the Mancunians. They had three shots on target in the entire game out of which they scored two (One from a penalty and another a scrappy goal from a set piece). From open play, they hardly looked like breaching Brighton’s defence even though Mourinho rang in a lot of changes in the second half. Many are already fed up with Mourinho’s off-field antics, and from the pieces of evidence in the first two games, the team has hardly improved from the last term.
Next up they will face Tottenham Hotspur who would be confident of beating this United side. Rumours are ripe that Mourinho could be shown the door before Christmas and we try to look at who can replace the Portuguese manager at the Old Trafford.
Zinedine Zidane: The Favourite
The Frenchman stepped down from Real Madrid’s top job after three years of success. His record in the European competitions would make any veteran manager envious as in just two years and five months; he delivered three Champions League along with nine major honours overall.
Rumours are already doing the rounds that Zidane is eyeing the top job at Manchester, and many are considering him as the favourite to succeed Mourinho. However, people would still be a bit sceptical of his appointment as at the Spanish capital, he had a readymade team at his disposal, and all that was required from him was to fit them in a system to get the best out of them. At United, he will need to rebuild the side especially at the back, and it will be a different challenge altogether for the former Balon d’Or winner.
Antonio Conte: The Unpopular
It might sound ridiculous at first, but the Italian manager can be a decent option for the Red Devils. He has a proven track record wherever he has gone, and even though Conte was sacked from Chelsea, he delivered two trophies in two years including a Premier League title. However, this move might not go down well with United faithful as Conte is known to build his team on the back of strong defence just like Mourinho, so many would be of the view that he won’t be a real upgrade over the Portuguese tactician.
Mauricio Pochettino: The Wildcard
United fans will jump at the opportunity of having someone like Pochettino at the helm of the club. The Argentine is credited with bringing Spurs among the league of big boys as they are consistently finishing in the top four in the last few years. Yes, he hasn’t been able to deliver something substantial in terms of trophies, but the brand of football he has got a group of young men playing has been the talk of the town.
Under him, several young prospects have developed into world-class players, and without spending much, he has made the North London club one of the heavyweights of English football. It would take some intense negotiations to bring him at Old Trafford as Spurs have tied him up earlier with a new bumper deal. Even Real Madrid couldn’t lure him to leave Spurs, but maybe something about United might appeal to the Argentine.
