Jose Mourinho
Top of the pile is Jose Mourinho who is the bookies favorite to take over at united and it’s no surprise why. The Portuguese was rumored to be the heir apparent when Sir Alex stepped down and reportedly cried when David Moyes got the nod ahead of him. The special one is without a job at the moment and is rumored to have penned a six page letter to the United board outlining how he will take the team from a mid-table snore fest to the thrilling heights that united fans were accustomed to. Mourinho is not without his critics though and the most notable criticisms are his immense ego and seeming incapability to stay in a position for more than three seasons. If longevity is what united fans are looking for it won’t be found in Mourinho.
Ryan Giggs
Second on the list is Ryan Giggs, the one club legend who lives and breathes Manchester United. He had an interim role when Moyes was sacked and knows the club inside out. He has surely gained valuable experience as assistant to Van Gaal over the last two seasons and is a crowd favorite who the players would love to play for. He should be a strong candidate for the coaching job but does he have the experience required to lead such a massive club? Perhaps, like Zidane at Madrid, he has what it takes and should be thrown in at the deep end but only time will tell what the Glazers decide.
Diego Simeone
The third candidate is Diego Simeone he has been an absolute revelation at Athletico Madrid. The Argentine was capped over a hundred times for his country and played for clubs including Athletico Madrid, Sevilla and Inter. Since his playing days he has made quite a name for himself as a coach most notably at Athletico where he transformed the side into a real force in recent years. He has won the Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, has consistently challenged Barca and Real for league honors and was a runner up in the Champions league. By all accounts, these are monumental feats and Simeone has firmly put himself in the shop window for a number of top European clubs. His one flaw is his inability to speak English which will be a problem to some but if you take Mauricio Pocettino’s success at Southampton and Tottenham respectively as an example, one would think the language barrier is one that can be overcome.
My thoughts…
My money is on Giggs to success van Gaal as caretaker manager until the end of the season paving way for Mourinho to take over permanently at the end of the season. This will give the special one time to work on his squad during the off season and a fresh start to the 2017 campaign. Whatever the Glazers decide, it had better be done soon as the club continue to slip down the table and get booed by the fans.