It would be an understatement to say that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has failed to deliver according to the expectations so far this season. A streak of lucky wins at the beginning of the season looked very encouraging, but with the passage of time, the weaknesses in his system are getting exploited in the most horrific ways possible. The shambolic 5-0 defeat to Liverpool sparked anger among the majority of the fans, and the 2-0 loss in the Manchester derby could act as the final nail in the coffin.
Here, in this article, we take a look at two of the best managers who could immediately succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.
Zinedine Zidane
Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid at the end of last season; however, if odds are to be believed, the Frenchman is the second favourite to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in case he is dismissed in the coming weeks.
Given his impressive record with Real Madrid between 2016 and 2020 (excluding the 2018/19 season) – 3 Champions League titles, 2 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey titles, 2 Super Cup titles – it’s beyond any doubt that Manchester United fans would love him at Old Trafford.
However, recent reports from Spanish media outlet AS claim that Zidane’s arrival is next to impossible as he is eagerly waiting for the France national team job. Besides, he would prefer nothing other than a ‘clearly’ winning project even in mid-season, but given the present circumstances at United, it might be a far-fetched aim.
A Zidane-Ronaldo reunion would be exciting to watch, though.
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Ralf Rangnick
Former Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick seems to have the perfect solution to Manchester United’s problems at the moment. There are precisely two reasons behind it – his style of play would suit the current team that is star-studded with quality attackers and his past winning record in Germany.
Often known as ‘the godfather of gegenpressing’, Rangnick discussed his style of play in quite a unique way.
“Well, it’s very simple,” Rangnick says. “[Gegenpressing is] a very proactive style of football, similar to the way in which Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool have been playing under Klopp.
“We like to press high, with a very intense counter-pressure. When we have the ball, we do not like any square or back passes.
“The goalkeeper also should not be the one with the most contact on the ball. In almost every league and every country, the goalkeeper is technically the most limited football player on the pitch and therefore we have to make sure that he has the lowest contact with the feet.
“It is a fast, proactive, attacking, counter-attacking, counter-pressing, exciting and entertaining [style of] football.”
He might not be a popular figure among the fans, but a plan is what United need in these scary hours – and the 63-year-old has one for every match.
On November 6, Christian Falk tweeted that Rangnick is still interested in the job; however, there hasn’t been any direct contact yet.
