Manchester United have now held positive talks to hire their next manager, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Fletcher to remain in charge for Brighton game
Despite failing to get Man United back to winning ways against relegation-threatened Burnley, interim boss Darren Fletcher confirmed that the club have asked him to remain in charge for the Brighton & Hove Albion game this weekend.
The former midfielder told reporters: “I’ve been informed they’d like me to take the team for Sunday. There was a feeling that might have been the case from Monday, but we wanted to focus on Burnley. But yes, I’m tasked with leading the team on Sunday, so all my focus and energy goes to that now.”
The decision should hand those at Old Trafford some much-needed time to appoint their caretaker manager, who will be in charge until at least the end of the season.
A lot has been said about who the caretaker boss should be and who should then get the permanent role. In terms of the latter, several names have already been mooted.
Recent reports have name-dropped Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, Marseille manager Roberto de Zerbi and recently sacked Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
A move for Maresca or Glasner would be particularly routine, given that they’ll both be free agents in the summer unless anything changes in the next few months. Whether they match the so-called ‘Man Utd DNA’ remains to be seen, however.
In the meantime, INEOS must ensure that they appoint the right caretaker boss. Whilst Fletcher is set to stay in charge for this weekend, those at Old Trafford are seeking an option beyond their FA Cup tie against Brighton.
To that end, it’s seemingly come down to two former players in Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with positive steps reportedly taken to hire the Norwegian.
Man Utd hold positive talks with Solskjaer
Speaking on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness podcast, Romano revealed that Man United chiefs have held positive talks with Solskjaer and he is the favourite to take the caretaker role for the rest of the season.
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Romano revealed: “It’s still under discussion because Man United met both of them (Carrick and Solskjaer) in the recent hours. Solskjaer is very ready to make this happen, because he’s very keen to return to Manchester United.”
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It looks increasingly likely that Man United could be about to come full circle by appointing Solskjaer until the end of the campaign. Whether his caretaker spell will result in a shock rant from Rio Ferdinand demanding that Ole stays at the wheel seems unlikely this time around, but it’s certainly an unexpected second chance at Old Trafford for the 52-year-old.
Solskjaer’s first spell at Man Utd
Record
Games
168
Wins
92
Draws
35
Losses
41
At the time of his departure, Solskaer’s record didn’t look great. Compared to Amorim and other managers since Sir Alex Ferguson, however, it arguably stands out as a positive.
Praised for the “incredible” form that he achieved during his last tenure by none other than Pep Guardiola, Solskjaer could now get the chance to repeat that initial success many years later.