Manchester United had to press the reset button once again, becoming Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s fourth manager since Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013. United have come a long way in those eight years, looking up to their arch rivals. , Manchester City and Liverpool have become the new dominant forces in the Premier League. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho all came and gone before beloved former United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed as caretaker boss in December 2018, with the club tapping into his DNA to restore former glory. A brief description was given to restore.
United rediscovered his spark in the honeymoon period under the Norwegian, a breathless Champions League return against Paris Saint-Germain – a result that helped persuade club owners to hand him a permanent deal.
Despite persistent concerns over his lack of experience and technical knowledge, Solskjaer has come close to delivering the club’s first silverware since 2017, losing on penalties in last season’s Europa League final and finishing second in the Premier League.
The club’s owners were confident enough in the journey’s direction to hand him a new three-year contract in July.
Former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel said in his recent autobiography that his former teammate had brought “heart and soul back” to the club after the divisive Mourinho regime, but that in the end proved not enough.
Solskjaer, 48, said after his team’s 4-1 loss to lowly Watford on Saturday that he felt for the fans and understood their pain as he expressed his anger at Vicarage Road.
“We’ve had a tough time since the fans who have been with us over the years since Sir Alex (Ferguson) left the club and I arrived, they’ve been incredible, they’ve understood the situation,” he added. .
“The contracts with Rafa (Rafael Varane), Jadon (Sancho) and Cristiano (Ronaldo) this summer certainly raised everyone’s expectations, well, because we have brought in some top players.”
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The question is, to whom do United turn to take the club forward?
A statement from the club on Sunday stated its intention to hire an interim manager for upcoming games with former midfielder Michael Carrick until the end of the season.
With Solskjaer’s departure delayed, a key candidate is now off the market as Tottenham snag a former Premier League winner in Antonio Conte.
United have been consistently linked with Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino and the Argentine could well be the motivation to wait until the summer.
Former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers and Ajax coach Eric ten Haag have also been linked in the role.
United, having longed for stability under Ferguson, have been reluctant to sack their managers unless they feel their hand is forced.
With the club seventh in the Premier League, the top four are already out of the title race after six points and just 12 games.
Whoever takes charge at Old Trafford will have a richly talented but bloated and unbalanced squad to work with.
With Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford, Sancho, Marcus Greenwood and Anthony Martial, United can claim bountiful riches in the attack.
But Solskjaer’s favorite midfield pair Fred and Scott McTominay have often looked lighter this season and the leaky defense has scored 21 goals in the league, five times more than Chelsea’s leaders.
Any new manager would also have to work under the American owners, the Glazer family, who are extremely unpopular among a large section of the club’s fans.
Protests have recently subsided, in part due to the vast funding provided for new players, but the underlying frustration over the ownership model, which placed a huge debt load on the club, continues.
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One thing is certain – whoever is through next door will face enormous expectations that will not be satisfied until United are top dog again.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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