Brendan Rodgers’ first Man United XI if he was in charge against Watford

The MEN Sport understands that the board have privately decided that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not the man to lead United forward and they will soon begin the process of searching for his successor. A number of managers such as Erik ten Hag and Luis Enrique are appreciated by the United board but the club’s main candidate is the Leicester City coach, Brendan Rodgers.

Now it is unlikely that the club will make a change of manager and remove Solskjaer before the end of the season, but if Rodgers was to take over United today, he would have to contend with the club’s roster of players. So what would Rodgers’ first XI look like if he was in the dugout this weekend against Watford?

(The following lineup is taking into account current injuries and they will be referenced where needed)

The Defence:

A very familiar lineup with Eric Bailly also making a cameo appearance. On current form, it would be likely that Raphael Varane, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, would rotate with Harry Maguire, as Rodgers seems to favour one central defender who is more comfortable on the ball and suited to defending space while the other is a more physical defender who reads the game well and puts in tackles while getting in the face of his opponents.

Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka would likely retain their positions as they are good ball carriers and in Rodgers’ 4-3-3 formation they are mainly needed to provide a width and progress the ball into the opponent’s half for the counter-attack.

The Midfield:

With Paul Pogba injured, it would be likely that Bruno Fernandes would take up the role of deep-lying playmaker which Youri Tielemans currently operates in for Leicester (if Pogba was to leave I feel Tielemans would also be a target for Rodgers in the summer given the manager’s preference for him).

Van de Beek would then be likely tasked with the role that James Maddison has, acting as an extra man when pressing the opponent and making late runs into the box when the team is attacking, and being more involved with the team’s link-up play. Long term this would be Fernandes’ role and Rodgers could even move to a 4-2-3-1 if signings allow.

Short-term Fred would be vital, Rodgers needs a player who provides energy and puts himself about, which Fred has done for United since he has signed and Wilfried Ndidi and this season Boubacar Soumare have done at Leicester. Long term you would expect this to be the first place United upgrade, but if he was to take over this current squad he would need to rely heavily on the Brazilian.

The Attack:

Again not many unfamiliar players here. Cristiano Ronaldo and Jamie Vardy play in a very similar way, conserving energy and playing on the shoulder of the last man to choose their roles. What Ronaldo offers over Vardy however is an unrivalled aerial ability but also an upgrade on the Englishman’s already impressive finishing ability.

Rashford would offer another outlet, playing as an inside forward and driving in from the left, giving Shaw some space to drive forward and contribute to the attack.

Jadon Sancho would also be a vital piece of the puzzle, as he can play between the lines and offer some much-needed creativity on the right-hand side.

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If you’ve been reading this and thinking, well this is just Solskjaer’s tactics, you’d be partly right. Rodgers relies on wingers, fast-paced counterattacks and last man runs much like the Norwegian has at times during his time with United.

Rodgers does offer an upgrade on Solskjaer however in his standard of coaching and in-game tweaking but also in that he has his Leicester team perform a strong and organised press on their opponents. This has been a big thing that has been missing from Solskjaer’s United side and a reason why it has looked disjointed so far this season.

Overall it is unknown when or even if Rodgers will take the United job. But until then, he would have to deal with the current squad until being financed in the summer transfer window to add new players.

It is, however, interesting to apply his tactics to the current United team and see how the team would look, especially in a more possession-oriented style.

Which manager would you like to succeed Solskjaer at Manchester United? Follow our United On My Mind writer Casey Evans on Twitter and get involved in the discussion in the comment section below.