Manchester United has begun the process of hiring a new permanent manager in the summer, according to The Athletic (Subscription Required), and has finalized a few names as they compile a shortlist.
Ole Gunnar Solskaer was fired in November of last year after the club failed to put together a winning streak and plummeted to the bottom of the standings. United subsequently decided to appoint Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the conclusion of the season while they identified potential candidates for the position of permanent manager for the next season.
According to reports, United has produced a shortlist of contenders for the role, and efforts are being made to set up preliminary interviews with the people on the list. Rangnick will leave the club as a consultant at the end of his contract.
Rangnick has done a good job so far at United, with the recent win over Leeds United putting the club in fourth place ahead of their Champions League Round of 16 matches against Atletico Madrid. The UCL is Manchester United’s only chance to win a trophy this season, and the German will need his players to rise to the occasion.
Creating a shortlist
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, United has been unable to appoint a long-term manager, and the team has struggled to win silverware. The Europa League and League Cup returned to the club during Jose Mourinho’s first year, while Louis Van Gaal won the FA Cup before being ousted, but trophies have been scarce since.
The Red Devils are thought to have picked Mauricio Pochettino of PSG and Erik ten Hag of Ajax as prospective candidates for the post of permanent manager ahead of the new season.
Although Pochettino has Premier League experience thanks to his previous tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, ten Hag has yet to taste the English top division. However, the PSG manager has never won a league title, whereas the Ajax manager has twice won the Eredivisie.
It remains to be seen whether Rangnick’s excellent performance as interim manager will give him an outside chance of being named permanent manager at the conclusion of the season, but odds are slim considering that United has already compiled a shortlist of other candidates.
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The obvious issue, in this case, is that the possibilities mentioned by the club are already employed by their clubs. With big trophies still on the line this season, United will encounter difficulties in having sensitive meetings with these managers.
For the time being, United supporters will be hoping that Rangnick can lead their side to the top four of the Premier League and a solid finish to the season. The summer will undoubtedly be an exciting time for Manchester United fans as we wait to discover who will assume the manager’s seat in the dugout at Old Trafford.
