It appears Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job as Manchester United manager is safe for now, with the club choosing to ride the storm after the 5-0 defeat to Liverpool.
United’s board is invested in the Solskjaer project and do not want to over react.
The players are still fighting for him, evidenced by the stirring 3-0 win over Tottenham at the weekend.
The landscape can quickly change of course. A defeat to Atalanta would likely send United into third place in the Champions League group with two matches remaining.
A loss to City at the weekend would put United 11 points behind first place if Chelsea win their game.
Lose heavily again, and calls for Solskjaer to be fired will intensify.
United would prefer at least to get to the end of the season. This was evidenced by their choice last week.
Antonio Conte appeared to be the clear front runner, and now he is set to take over the suddenly available job at Tottenham.
United may rue passing up on Conte. Time will tell. But that can only really be judged by the success Solskjaer has, or his successor.
There is a fair chance United dismiss Solskjaer at the end of the season if another higher quality manager is deemed to be available.
Conte clearly was not United’s cup of tea, but these three managers may be.
Here is a look at three potential top candidates United may turn to if Solskjaer is fired…
Erik Ten Hag
Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag ticks multiple boxes for United, except for current availability. But none of these three possible candidates are free right now.
Ten Hag has a clearly defined system, playing attacking football. His Ajax side have scored 37 goals in 11 league games this season, and conceded only two.
He is also a big believer in bringing through young players, and Ten Hag could be the ideal candidate.
With Ajax enjoying a great season domestically and in Europe, United will have to wait until the summer to potentially land Ten Hag.
Mauricio Pochettino
Having passed up on Mauricio Pochettino last year, United may be ready to reconsider.
The Star reported last week Pochettino remains highly admired at Old Trafford and would still be considered an ideal candidate if United decided to give up on Solskjaer.
Pochettino is currently PSG manager, but this is subject to change at any time. Thomas Tuchel was fired last season despite getting through the Champions League group stages.
Even if he wins Ligue 1, Pochettino could be dismissed, especially if he is not getting the best out of Lionel Messi.
United would likely be keen to pounce as and when Pochettino becomes available.
Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers dismissed links to United last week but don’t doubt his ambition. He did not need much warning to walk out on Celtic for the Leicester job.
Whether Rodgers is the right man divides opinion. He is a former Liverpool boss and he has bottled consecutive top four finishes on the final day, in addition to the 2014 title collapse.
On the other hand, Rodgers won the FA Cup last season and has proven himself in the Premier League.
He is a smart tactician who likes to play attacking football. He may need a new challenge away from Leicester, although it would be a surprise if either party pulled the trigger on this before the end of the season.
Two outsiders
Zinedine Zidane continues to warrant a mention as a result of his previous success with Real Madrid.
But ESPN’s Julien Laurens reports he is not so keen on the United job and is favourite to replace Didier Deschamps as France boss after the next World Cup.
A real gamble would be Brighton boss Graham Potter, who has impressed in the Premier League since taking over.
Potter has recruited well and his teams are difficult to play against. On a higher budget he could turn out to be the winning boss United crave, but his lack of experience at the top end of the table is a reason the club may consider him too raw, if the club are looking for a more proven option as an antidote to Solskjaer.
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