Who should be the next manager of Man Utd?

By Niamh Maguire, published on 25/01/22

The next permanent manager of Man Utd will be one of the most important decisions the board will have to make to ensure a prosperous future for the club. This article will go over five candidates and say which one I want.

Mauricio Pochettino

The betting favourite and overall favourite is ex Tottenham and current Paris Saint-German manager Mauricio Pochettino. He has been linked to the United job since the sacking of Louis Van Gaal but has always had someone else the board preferred. This time seems perfect for a man who has always idolised Fergie and made it clear that the United job was his dream job.

The Argentinian manager prefers to play in a 4-3-3 system with two attacking midfielders and one holding DM behind them, screening the defence. He has shown he can deal with big egos during his stint in charge of Paris St German and develop the young players in the team. The one big concern regarding Poch is how few trophies he has won, which the club could be looking into before hiring him.

Erik Ten Hag

Erik Ten Hag has been linked to almost all the top jobs in Europe and is a man who has spent time working with Bayern Munich's youth teams before being appointed Ajax manager. Apparently, the intern managers first choice and someone who has never denied the job would persuade him away from Ajax.

Ten Hag works under the Ajax possession style, which sees him employ a 4-2-3-1 with a target man striker and an intelligent CAM behind them. Ten Hags trust in young players is a big tick in the positive box for Ten Hag, but the lack of egos he has dealt with is a cause of concern for fans and the club alike.

Graham Potter

The hottest prospect in English management at the moment is Graham Potter, a young 46-year-old who hasn't taken the usual route to the big time with his first big job coming in the Allsvenskan league with Ostersunds. After three promotions, he guided them to the top flight and won the Swedish Cup in 2017.

He moved to Swansea in the championship and then to Brighton his current job, who are currently 9th in the table and only 8 points behind United in 4th. Potter has an excellent record of playing the youth, and attacking football fans would love. The negative is that this appointment could fall apart as Moyes did in 2014.

Luis Enquire

Current Spain and ex Barcelona boss is reportedly on the shortlist for the next manager at Old Trafford. The ex FCB manager would excite the fans with the pedigree of winning in big leagues. Enquire plays a 4-3-3 and would play fast football and become a likeable figure. The downside is his lack of English which could be fixed but would make his task even more difficult.

Julen Lopetegui

From a former Barca manager to a former Madrid manager with current Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui also being considered for the role. Like Enquire, he plays a 4-3-3 formation and would play attacking football. He has been the king of the Europa League, winning it with Sevilla every year he has been in it. He had a bad time with Madrid, but that shouldn't spoil your view of him. His team are currently second in La Liga, only behind an excellent Real side. He also doesn't know English, but like with Enquire, he could learn.