Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho is quite clearly a dead man walking. As ever with the Portuguese, the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ is enduring his usual third-season struggles, though it’s seemingly coming far earlier than ever before this time around. Indeed, while on tour in the USA, the former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss has been criticising pretty much everyone and everything.
Now the bookies’ favourite to lose his job first this season, it’s hard to see the 55-year-old lasting at Old Trafford if his attitude continues to be negative. We’ve seen just how badly things can go when Mourinho implodes before, so Ed Woodward and other decision makers at the Theatre of Dreams must already be thinking about potential replacements.
The club simply cannot afford to lose any more ground on rivals Manchester City, or even the likes of Liverpool, so these really are pivotal times at Old Trafford. They’ve spent so much money to try and restore former glories and, while suffering a Mourinho implosion would be a blow, a quick and efficient replacement would limit damage in the long-term.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some replacements Woodward should be considering.
Granted, Conte himself is barely a long-term option, though would be a fantastic appointment mid-season when trying to raise morale. The complete anthesis to Mourinho, the Italian would spark some fire into the squad and get the players enjoying their football again, as he did at Chelsea.
A serial winner, it’d be a controversial move from the Red Devils, though one that could seriously pay off on a short-term basis.
A former United player, Blanc has experience in managing big squads with big egos. Through his time with both PSG and the French national squad, the Frenchman has shown he can deal with pressure and his calming influence could provide a fresh release after the rigidness of Mourinho.
Currently out of work, he’d be a sensible option if Mourinho were to leave.
A touch ambitious perhaps, but why not at least try and move for Zinedine Zidane? The Frenchman has proven himself as one of the most successful managers of all time by leading Real Madrid to three successive Champions League titles and could surely work wonders with the players at United.
It might take a lot to convince him to end his sabbatical so quickly but the kind of money Woodward could offer, as well as the chance to work for one of the world’s biggest clubs again, would surely be tempting.
