Manchester United have sacked Jose Mourinho following the Red Devils 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at the weekend. The club released a statement on Tuesday morning announcing Mourinho's departure with immediate effect and have announced that an interim manager will be in charge of the club until the end of the season.
However, while the name for the caretaker boss will soon be released, Mourinho's sacking will be the catalyst for the United board's search for a new manager at the start of next season and there will be a whole host of names linked with a move to Old Trafford.
1. Zinedine Zidane
Having masterminded three Champions League titles on the bounce at Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane left the Bernabeu at the end of last season and is yet to take up another managerial position. The former French World Cup winner blossomed at Real and is currently favourite with the bookmakers to take up the United post, but it's been rumoured that he is not particular looking for a move to the Premier League, so United fans may have to look elsewhere for their next boss.
2. Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is lauded across the globe, as having launched into the limelight while at Southampton, the Argentinean manager has progressed immeasurably as a manager at Spurs. However, Pochettino has often struggled to propel Spurs into genuine Premier League title contenders, as chairman Daniel Levy has focused more on building the new White Hart Lane rather than giving Pochettino the much-needed transfer funds to progress, so while United would need to pay a monstrous fee for his services, Pochettino is the sort of manager that is needed to bring life back into a drab United squad.
We would like to thank him for his work during his time at Manchester United and wish him success in the future. #MUFC
3. Michael Carrick
A mainstay of the United midfield over the last decade, Michael Carrick hung up his playing boots at the end of last season, but has been working as one of Mourinho's coaches as he looks to learn the game from a managerial perspective. A 12-year playing career at Old Trafford saw Carrick win a raft of titles under Sir Alex Ferguson and he will certainly be a popular appointment with the United fans, if the board are willing to give the young coach a chance.
4. Laurent Blanc
Another man from the 1998 French World Cup-winning squad, Laurent Blanc could be challenging his old teammate Zinedine Zidane for the United job and like Carrick, he is another that possesses experience at the former Premier League champions. Ending his playing career at the club, Blanc has moved smoothly into management and having started his career in the dugout at Bordeaux the 53-year-old then went on to manage the French national team for a couple of years before his last position was at dominant Ligue 1 side Paris-Saint German, a club he left in 2016.
5. Antonio Conte
Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is another leading candidate for the coveted United job and having not secured a job since his exit from Stamford Bridge at the end of last season then he will certainly relish the chance to return to the Premier League. With United announcing they are set to announce a permanent manager in the summer then there will no doubt be a whole host of interviews taking place in the coming months, but Conte has shown he can deliver the goods in the English top-flight and must be a leading candidate.
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