Manchester United have yet to hire a new long-term manager following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last year. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, has already stated his preference for who should lead the team.
Cristiano Ronaldo has already had twice as many managers as he had during his first term at Manchester United, but he has already spoken his opinion on who the club should select next.
Former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer re-signed Ronaldo, but after he was fired in November, Ralf Rangnick took over on a temporary basis. The German has marginally improved them, but he was unable to maintain them in Europe, as they were eliminated from the Champions League after a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
United is likely to make their next managerial choice in the summer, with many names already on their rumored shortlist. But Ronaldo has made it clear who he wants to see come in, and a fresh list is taking shape.
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When Solskjaer was fired, Ronaldo reportedly wanted United to appoint former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, and it’s unlikely that his opinions will have altered by the summer. And Enrique was asked about the potential of taking over as manager of Manchester United, but he dismissed any speculation.
Enrique joked with reporters, “Is today April Fools’ Day?” as he dismissed links to Old Trafford, while journalist Fabrizio Romano afterward added that he is content with his current post as manager of Spain’s national team. That could possibly be one of the reasons Ronaldo is interested, in order to weaken his opponents ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Portugal isn’t even guaranteed to go to Qatar this winter after being defeated by Serbia in their final qualification game, and they must play Turkey in seven days to cement their fate.
Ronaldo’s return has not been a dream come true, as United will now go another season without a trophy, and they may miss out on a position in the top four, knocking them out of Champions League participation as well. That is why, as they build a new and improved manager shortlist this summer, it is critical that United get it right.
According to the Daily Mail, the list contains Ronaldo’s name, as well as Thomas Tuchel, who has been asked by United to lure him away from Chelsea following their recent troubles with Russian owner Roman Abramovich. Of course, despite the fact that it is a new list, their most likely choices are Mauricio Pochettino and Erik Ten Hag.
Pochettino is expected to depart PSG this summer after another disappointing Champions League campaign, and Ten Hag is apparently taking English lessons in preparation for a move away from Ajax. A move for Ten Hag may resurrect Donny van de Beek’s career, but Pochettino could entice Harry Kane to Old Trafford.
United has some time to think over their possibilities, but they don’t want to be too reluctant and miss out on any of their targets. But, after failing to replace Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, they must get it right this time.
David Moyes was the first manager to be trusted, but his time at United ended in disaster, despite the fact that he has since resurrected his career at West Ham. Louis van Gaal was the next to go, although he was fired after winning the FA Cup.
Jose Mourinho returned European success to Manchester United, albeit in the Europa League, and that season remains the club’s last year of silverware.
United hasn’t won anything since, and the club has spent £1.4 billion since 2011, with no genuine success to show for it in recent years. Despite this, United still needs to buy a new midfielder and a long-term striker, so additional money will be needed to address those issues.
As a result, United will want to make sure they recruit the proper man for the job before spending any more money, as Rangnick was not even given finances to strengthen in the January transfer window.
The summer is crucial for United, with several significant decisions to be made by the board.
