Man Utd told Solskjaer links are ‘very strange’ and other manager would be ‘better appointment’ | Football
Steve McManaman has questioned Manchester United’s talks to rehire Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, claiming Michael Carrick would be a ‘better appointment’ at Old Trafford.
United announced that Ruben Amorim had been relieved of his duties following the side’s clash with Leeds and the search to find the Portuguese’s replacement is ongoing.
Amorim appeared to pave the way for his impending departure as he appeared to take aim at the United board after the 1-1 draw at Elland Road, demanding he was recognised as a ‘manager’ and ‘not just a coach’.
The 40-year-old, formerly the head coach of Sporting, also suggested he would be prepared to walk away from Old Trafford when his contract expired at the end of the 2026/27 season – a decision that was ultimately taken out of his hands.
Since then, many of the most highly respected managers in the Premier League – and some overseas – have been linked with the vacant post, including Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner and ex-England boss Gareth Southgate.
But it appears United will look steady the ship with an interim option for the time being, with Darren Fletcher currently in charge as caretaker, and discussions have taken place to bring back Solskjaer and Carrick in recent days.
Solskjaer, of course, took over the reins from Jose Mourinho in 2018, steering the club to final of the Europa League at the end of the 2020/21 season before losing his job six months later.
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According to McManaman, Carrick – who briefly served as Solskjaer’s assistant at United and most recently managed Middlesbrough – would make far more sense for the Red Devils.
‘I’d be very surprised if Ole came in with Michael. I think that’s a definite no-no,’ ex-Liverpool and England winger McManaman said on TNT Sports.
‘I think it’s either/or so it will be interesting to see what they do.
‘But I think we’d all be surprised if Ole came back in, wouldn’t we? After getting rid of him and paying him off, to then bring him back. It would be a very strange one.
‘It just muddies the water a little bit more for more criticism, for more people to have a poke at Manchester United.
‘They need to clean the slate and start again.
‘If that’s Michael coming in, I think that would be a better appointment.’
Solskjaer’s fellow treble winner, Peter Schmeichel, took a wholly different view to McManaman as he discussed his favoured short-term scenario on BBC Radio 5 Live.
The legendary ex- United and Denmark goalkeeper believes a ‘dream team’ of Fletcher, Solskjaer and Carrick would be the best option for his former club in their current crisis.
‘We are Manchester United and there aren’t that many Manchester United people back at the club to actually drive it in the direction that Manchester United should be driven at,’ he said.
‘It pleases me that the three of them [Fletcher, Solskjaer and Carrick] are mentioned.
‘I mean, it’s a dream, for me, it’s a dream team if they could get all three to see out the rest of the season.’
On Fletcher’s credentials, Schmeichel added: ‘He is a true servant to the club.
‘He knows the club inside out, he’s won five Premier League titles with them, he’s got the DNA of Manchester United running through his blood.
‘I think that is important right now because we’ve been through a period with a coach [Amorim] who didn’t want to play the way that Manchester United is supposed to play.
‘We’ve been through a period of quite a lot of managers and only one manager by the way, since Sir Alex Ferguson, had more than 100 games which is a staggering stat for me.
‘We’ve been through a period where it hasn’t worked, with big, strong-name managers come in with their systems and their ideas and it hasn’t worked.’
‘I like the idea that, at least for the next four months, the actual football will be run by people who have been there as players, have good qualities as coaches and know what Manchester United is supposed to be.’
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Man Utd told Solskjaer links are ‘very strange’ and other manager would be ‘better appointment’ | Football
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