- the following is a sponsored article
As Manchester United said goodbye to their fourth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, they are left with more questions than answers as they attempt to return the club to the heady days of the 1990s and 2000s.
The sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came as no surprise. A 4-1 defeat to Watford was the final nail in the coffin, however, his sacking could have come weeks earlier after embarrassing defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City.
He has looked out of his depth this season after leading United to second-place last season, some 12 points behind runaway champions City. After a promising start to the season, things have quickly gone downhill for United. They have picked up just one win in their last five games, losing the other four and have quickly slipped to eighth place in the table, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea after just 12 games.
Next season will represent 10 years since United last won the Premier League and in truth, they haven't looked anywhere close to challenging during that time. It feels like their next managerial appointment has to be the right one to build for the next five years and beyond and this is perhaps one of the reasons their announcement of the sacking of Solskjaer said they were looking to appoint an "interim manager" to the end of the season.
Let's take a closer look at what the next steps might look like for United in a post-Solskjaer era.
A new manager
After not having to recruit a new manager for 26 years, United will now be looking to recruit their fifth manager in just over eight years since Ferguson retired in 2013.
David Moyes was the first to take up the unenvious task of replacing Ferguson, not even lasting a season before being replaced by Louis Van Gaal. Ryan Giggs stood in as caretaker manager for the final games of the 2013-14 season before Van Gaal was officially announced in July of 2014.
He lasted two seasons at United, bringing them success in the FA Cup final in his final game in charge before he was replaced by Jose Mourinho in 2016.
Despite bringing United the trophies they craved - three during his tenure including the Europa League and League Cup - he was sacked in December 2018 following a disastrous run of form and in stepped Solskjaer, initially as a caretaker manager but after a fine run of results, he was handed the permanent role in 2019.
Despite his critics, Solskjaer has outlasted his more experienced predecessors, with three years at the helm, however, during that time, he has failed to win any silverware, falling short on penalties in the Europa League Final last season and falling in a number of semi-finals prior to that.
And so, United once again find itself in search of a new manager, with Michael Carrick taking up the position of caretaker manager in the interim whilst the search is ongoing.
Who is in the frame?
Ideally United would be able to appoint a permanent manager as soon as possible, however, it seems like they are willing to wait for the perfect candidate rather than rush into a manager that does not fit the bill.
With most of the leading managers in the world currently under contract with their respective clubs, their announcement that they are looking to appoint an interim manager seems to hint that they are willing to wait until next summer to appoint the right person.
This, of course, means that they may have to recruit twice - once to get the best interim option and again to bring in their preferred manager whenever they become available.
There have already been a lot of names mooted as a potential interim manager, from Sir Alex Ferguson himself to former player Steve Bruce or other out-of-work managers including former Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre.
One of the challenges they face trying to recruit an interim manager is that that person would have to accept that they are a stop-gap - they will essentially be replaced as soon as a better option comes along and there aren't that many managers that would be keen on such a role.
Appointing a permanent manager
Talk has been building in the days following the sacking of Solskjaer around long-term target Mauricio Pochettino. Pochettino is currently managing Paris St Germain, however, if rumours are to be believed, he is thought to be open to the idea of returning to the Premier League after a successful spell with Tottenham and before that, Southampton.
It is believed he is not that comfortable with the structure at PSG - he doesn't have the final say on players bought and sold - and it is understood that he is keen on a move back to the Premier League.
How much of this is true is unclear. He is currently in the enviable position of managing some of the best players in the world, including Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe and his PSG side are already running away with their attempt to reclaim the Ligue 1 title they lost during his first year in charge.
His lack of major silverware could tempt him to stay at PSG to see the job through this season and claim his first league title, as well as pushing on in the Champions League where they would hope to go one step further than a semi-final defeat to Manchester City last season.
Another factor potentially influencing the move for Pochettino is the French side's interest in Zinedine Zidane. Whilst Zidane has been mooted for the role at United, it is understood he would prefer to remain in France - he speaks very little English - and PSG are also understood to be keen on Zidane.
This could provide United with the encouragement they need to go after Pochettino now, rather than waiting until the end of the season and having to recruit twice. It is believed that Ferguson is a keen admirer of Pochettino and would like to see him brought to Old Trafford sooner rather than later.
A move at this stage of the season for a manager of Pochettino's experience would also mean that this season would be very much alive. Whilst United currently sit eighth in the Premier League, they are still very much in the hunt for a top-four finish that would represent Champions League football once again next season and they are also in a good position to qualify from their group in the Champions League this season.
Pochettino may need to decide whether he is happy to go trophyless for another season, or hang on with PSG and see what he can clean up before a potential summer exit. United are currently 151.00 with Betway to lift the Premier League this season and no matter who they bring in, even the most ardent United fan would be struggling to see the value in that bet.
Pochettino, however, could provide the team with some invaluable impetus and help them to turn around a season that could go from bad to worse if they fail to recruit a manager that can get the most out of their talented squad.
Need a VPN? Or seeking to switch? Then support Tribal Football by clicking here to sign up with our official partners NordVPN. Not only will you receive the best VPN experience, but also great discounts by signing up via Tribal Football. Thanks for your support!