From Ten Hag to Pochettino – Pros and cons of managers linked to Man United

Manchester United are on the hunt for a new manager following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United confirmed they had cut ties with the Norwegian on Sunday morning, with Michael Carrick taking charge on an interim basis.

Since the news of Solskjaer’s sacking emerged – and even before he’d been sacked in fairness – there’ve been plenty of bosses touted as potential successors, with Mauricio Pochettino now seemingly the favourite to take the role.

The United fanbase spent weeks agreeing that Solskjaer’s time as manager had to come to an end, and now it seems no one can agree on who they want to become boss.

With that in mind, United On My Mind writers Omar Garrick Anil Kandola have listed the pros and cons of four potential suitors for the vacant post.

Erik ten Hag

Pros: Ten Hag has a lot of traits that suit ‘The United Way’. He plays attacking football and puts a lot of faith in youth.

He’s also tactically flexible, despite tending to play with a 4-3-3 formation during his time at Ajax. In-game, this sometimes switches to a 3-4-3, covering all the important areas of the pitch. The ability to adapt during matches is something United have been lacking and this could be a key attribute the board consider when making their decision.

Cons: There are two big cons to Ten Hag. The first is that he hasn’t managed a squad of elite players and the second is that he doesn’t have Premier League experience.

At Ajax, Ten Hag doesn’t really have a squad full of superstars and that’s something he would need to cope with at United.

While he’s never managed in the Premier League, the Dutchman did brilliantly to get to the semi-final of the Champions League in 2018/19 and so maybe his lack of experience in England shouldn’t worry us.

Zinedine Zidane

Pros: Zidane has a very impressive CV which includes three Champions League crowns. This undoubtedly appeals to the United hierarchy and the current squad could do with a manager with a winning mentality.

The Frenchman also has experience of managing big-name players and has an excellent relationship with players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane.

Cons: Like Ten Hag, Zidane hasn’t managed in the Premier League, in fact, he’s never managed outside of Madrid.

While his CV is as good as they come, his lack of experience in any league other than La Liga could be a major issue, and in some ways, his appointment might be something of a gamble.

Brendan Rodgers

Pros: Rodgers is keen to promote youth and he’s also made some great signings during his managerial career.

The Leicester City boss has experience of winning league titles from his time with Celtic and his FA Cup triumph with the Foxes last season was a brilliant achievement.

Wherever Rodgers has been he’s brought a style of play with him and that will surely be something that the United board consider when assessing their options.

Cons: There really is no nice way of putting this, but Rodgers has been accused of ‘bottling it’ at times.

While he did brilliantly to build a squad capable of challenging for the title at Liverpool, he failed to get his side over the line and his Leicester team have looked odds-on to secure a Champions League place for a few seasons only to fall at the final hurdle.

I know we probably shouldn’t be looking to appoint managers purely on the basis that they’re a ‘big name’, but Rodgers is far from the marquee appointment some United fans are desperate for.

Mauricio Pochettino

Pros: Pochettino has experience of the Premier League with stints at Southampton and Tottenham, while he’s also very good when it comes to improving players in a system that is recognisable and enjoyable to watch.

He’s also been lauded for his man-management and his ability to motivate players. Harry Kane developed into one of the best strikers on the planet during Pochettino’s time at Spurs, so imagine what he could do with Mason Greenwood.

Cons: For all his brilliant work at Spurs, his failure to win a trophy with the talent he had at his disposal was quite frankly inexcusable.

Another issue would be the way he’s struggled to get the best out of PSG’s superstars.

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have struggled to become the brilliant strikeforce we all expected them to be when the former arrived in Paris last summer, and Pochettino would hardly be moving to a team full of average players if he did join United.

Who do you think should be the next United manager? Follow our United On My Mind writers Omar Garrick and Anil Kandola on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.