"I’d be turning the Red Devils down" - Stan Collymore says Ten Hag and Pochettino should snub Manchester United and names 3 managers who can save the club
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore wrote for Mirror UK that he would have turned Manchester United down if he were either Mauricio Pochettino or Erik Ten Hag.
Manchester United have been heavily linked with the two managers, with the Ajax chief expected to win the race for the job. However, Collymore believes that neither of the two men can help the club reach the levels attained by Manchester City and Liverpool. Collymore criticized Manchester United’s hierarchy in his piece and claimed that only three managers were capable of saving the club.
Apart from Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, Stan Collymore encouraged Manchester United to approach Antonio Conte. He said:
"They have a bloated squad and a diva in Cristiano Ronaldo who has become a weekly circus act rather than match winner. I said at the weekend that Mauricio Pochettino would be a better bet for United this summer than Erik Ten Hag but, honestly, if I were either of those two I’d be turning the Red Devils down."
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He added:
"The club has made a litany of poor decisions in recent seasons and their administration has been so rank bad that they have put themselves so far behind Manchester City and Liverpool that, arguably, only Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp could turn them around. There is one other man I’d fancy to be capable of doing and to want to do it, though, and that’s Antonio Conte."
What do Manchester United need from their new manager?
It is no secret that the new manager will need to bring about a quick change in the club's culture in order to bring about results. While Collymore is right in claiming that Antonio Conte is the kind of no-nonsense figure who might be capable of doing that, the club has in the past gone for a similar approach with Jose Mourinho. It ended with a sad divorce.
Several players at the club currently lack discipline and poor transfers do not help the cause. The players brought in are ill-fitted to one philosophy as they have different playing styles.
Case in point is Harry Maguire, who does not have the necessary skills to be a ball-playing, high pressing defender. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is not good as an attacking outlet at right-back, a must-have for a top club in the modern era.
Despite having loads of midfielders, not one player has enough quality to nail down a starting spot in holding midfield. There are also several contract expiry issues looming large at the club.
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A quick, deliberate rebuild made at the behest of a manager who wants to instill an attacking philosophy appears to be the need of the hour. Whether the club can bring in young, hungry stars despite the potential absence of Champions League football remains to be seen.