Manchester United are reportedly looking to Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel as a potential replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The United legend had a huge impact on results when he was brought in after Jose Mourinho was fired last season but he could not maintain the good run and United ended up finishing the campaign out of the top four. Things have hardly improved this term, although the team won their last two games, and the Daily Mail is claiming that the Old Trafford club will hand the Norweigian his marching orders if he can’t inspire improvement.
Solskjaer oversaw a 4-0 win over Chelsea to start the current campaign but draws to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton, plus a loss to Crystal Palace, put him under fire ahead of the two results prior to this latest loss to West Ham.
It is believed that the manager’s days at the club will be numbered if he cannot fashion consistent victories and United are now keeping tabs on Tuchel, who is being eyed as the perfect replacement. The German coach led PSG to the Ligue 1 title last season but it could be argued that he was never really at a disadvantage given the formidable squad he has at his disposal.
Of course, the 46-year-old proved himself at BVB Borussia Dortmund, where he really rose to prominence after spells at Augsburg and Mainz.
Tuchel is contracted to the French outfit until 2021 and there’s no indication he’d be willing to give up Champions League football to join the Premier League side, but the English tabloids are reporting as much.
Solskjaer will be put through a tough run of matches and will have to face Arsenal and Liverpool pretty soon, with a date with the former set for September 30. His future could depend on the results of these fixtures and it’s possible we see a new boss take up the reins at Old Trafford before the turn of the year.
Fans who fancy a punt on coaches’ futures could find manager special odds at Odds Manager and Solskjaer seems the perfect candidate for such bets at the moment. Meanwhile, William Hill are offering 23/20 on Man Utd beating Arsenal at the end of this month. The Gunners are 11/5 to win what could be a thrilling encounter while a draw is at 27/10.
The bookmakers are also offering 4/7 odds on both teams scoring and 13/10 on a negative in that regard.
As for their chances of lifting the Premier League title, those are pretty slim. United are 100/1 to pull off what would be an upset, even for a club of their standards, with Bet365. Manchester City remain the favourites after winning the league the last two seasons and Skybet have them at 8/11 to do so this term. Liverpool are 7/5 with Betfair while Tottenham are at 50/1 with Betvictor. Chelsea have been attached to 100/1 odds by Paddy Power.
Solskjaer will hope to improve his side’s performances as soon as is possible but he should be concerned by Marcus Rashford’s form in front of goal. The youngster has scored three times so far this season but didn’t appear to be very sharp when United beat Astana in the Europa League on Thursday as he missed multiple chances to hand fans more than a 1-0 scoreline. His performance against the Hammers on Sunday also stood out for criticism.
One positive coming from the side in recent times is their agreeing a new deal with shot-stopper David de Gea. But that will mean very little if they can’t improve on their consistency.
Be the first to comment