After another terrible performance and defeat away at Leicester, the pressure on Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has risen. The Foxes came into the game in low form, but they had no trouble slicing through United’s midfield and defense on route to a 4-2 victory.
United’s performances have been poor all season, and now that the results are deteriorating, many fans have had enough, with the hashtag ‘Ole Out’ trending on Twitter. A substantial and rising portion of the fan base wants Solskjaer’s tenure to come to an end, and the current options are being thoroughly researched and scrutinized.
Antonio Conte, the former Chelsea, Juventus, and Inter Milan manager who is presently unemployed, is the first candidate. Conte has won titles in every club he has worked with, most notably at Inter Milan, where he put a stop to Juventus’ nearly decade-long Serie A dominance.
However, as Gary Neville pointed out, many United fans are unhappy that, despite his evident experience, Conte does not appear to fit the mold of a United manager.
Zinedine Zidane, the former Real Madrid manager, is another man without a job despite a stellar playing and managerial career. During his two stints at Real Madrid, Zidane won two league titles and an amazing three Champions Leagues in a row, with Cristiano Ronaldo playing some of the best football of his career while under his supervision.
Zidane has the name value and pedigree for the job, and he would command respect from every member of the current squad right away, something Ole may lack. Two more progressive options would be Ajax’s Erik ten Hag and Brighton’s Graham Potter, both young coaches with distinct playing styles.
Despite signing a new deal with Ajax just six months ago, ten Hag has already been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona, but a move to Manchester would be far more tempting.
Despite the public outrage, there is no indication that Ole’s job at United is in jeopardy, but results must improve as the difficult games pile up.
