Manchester United’s managerial situation continues to dominate the headlines, and concerns around leadership, control and squad mentality are growing.
Speaking to MyBettingSites.co.uk, former Red Devil Paul Parker delivered a brutally honest assessment of where the club stands, the idea of appointing an interim manager, and why so many top candidates would think twice before taking the job.
Man United Interim manager talk raises serious concerns
UK betting sites have revealed that there is a whole list of managers who are in the running to take the Man United job. Current Man United next manager betting odds suggest that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the leading favourite, whilst reports suggest he may be hired on an interim basis until the end of the season.
When asked whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could return as an interim manager until the end of the season, the response was clear, even if there is sympathy for why fans might welcome him back.
“Personally, I don’t think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should come back, but I do understand why a lot of fans would love it.”
The problem, however, lies in how his previous spell ended and what he has done since.
“But it was a bad ending for him, and he hasn’t really done anything since that makes you believe he can improve Man United. It was awful at the end so I don’t think they will go down that road again.”
Parker also spoke about Michael Carrick, who has also been linked with the job. The former midfielder was in charge for three matches at Man United and was unbeaten during this interim spell. Since then, he has had one managerial job at Middlesbrough. He left the Championship club last summer.
“Michael Carrick’s name has been mentioned because he was unbeaten last time as an interim manager, and now they are looking for an interim manager again.”
But the wider issue is what an interim appointment actually represents at Old Trafford.
“An interim manager is just another word for a babysitter. An interim manager is babysitting, and at Man United the interim manager will be a babysitter, because there are a lot of babies in that squad. They are not real men.”
“The vast majority of the squad will be looking at the interim manager saying, well you are not the manager, so why should I follow your instructions? A small minority will be professionals and do their job properly.”
With so much of the season still to play, that scenario is deeply worrying.
“From now and until the end of the season will be a nightmare. It is a big worry that the caretaker will have to be there for almost half a season.”
Parker believes the Man United job isn’t attractive anymore
Despite Manchester United’s stature, Parker believes the job itself has lost much of its appeal.
“But on the other hand, who wants the job right now at Man United? Almost no one. It is very interesting, because in the ideal world the next manager should be thinking about what he could become. He can become the next Sir Alex Ferguson.”
The flip side of that legacy is the fear of failure.
“But the chances are that you are going to fail and be ridiculed for life. Your life and family life will be changed, and not in a good way.”
Oliver Glasner: The dream choice, but not the right fit
When discussing an ideal candidate, Parker named Oliver Glasner as the standout. He has achieved remarkable things at Crystal Palace by helping them win their first-ever trophy. Rumours have suggested that he is one of the candidates that the club really like, but they may have to wait until the summer to sign him. His contract at Crystal Palace expires in the summer, giving the Red Devils the chance to swoop in.
“Oliver Glasner would be my dream choice as a new Manchester United manager in an ideal world, but the situation around Man United just isn’t ideal at the moment.”
Parker believes that the issue isn’t Glasner’s quality, but his standards.
“So, the reason why I am not leaning towards Oliver Glasner is because he wants to achieve something. He is demanding a lot and wants success. That doesn’t correlate very well with Manchester United.”
His work at Crystal Palace is evidence of his want for control, something that Parker feels isn’t available at Manchester United.
“We have seen it at Crystal Palace for a very long time. He wants to be at the top and be given the best chances of doing that. He wants to work with who he wants, not what other people want.”
“Glasner is improving clubs and players. He has always done that, but he wouldn’t be given the chance to do that at Man United. He wants to get involved and he has a lot of opinions. He wants a final say and the manager at Man United is being controlled by a puppet master.”
“He has won two trophies at Crystal Palace and brought them into European football. He gave the club something they never had. He added a new style to the football club, but Man United are not ready for him.”
“I think he would have a go at a lot of players who wouldn’t like to work under him. He would tell them what is right and wrong, because he is very strong minded. He is still my number one choice, but I would be seriously worried. Not because of him but because of the club.”
Parker assesses other Man United managerial candidates
Former Man United legends and Glasner are not the only managerial candidates in the running. There’s a host of other managers, including Enzo Maresca, who was recently sacked by Chelsea, Gareth Southgate, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Luis Enrique. All boast very impressive CVs, so it’s not a shock to see them in the running.
Parker has given his views on each manager and assessed how good an option they would be for Man United.
Gareth Southgate
Southgate managed to massively change the culture whilst in charge of England and led them to two Euro finals, whilst also getting them to the semi-finals of the World Cup. At club level, he hasn’t managed since he was in charge of Middlesbrough since 2009, so there is definitely an element of risk to his appointment.
Speaking on the former England manager’s chances of being in charge of Man United, Parker said: “If Gareth Southgate’s name gets mentioned it will only be because he is a yes-man. Actually, that could be a very good reason why they would hire him.”
“Maybe the other managers around the world do not stand a chance, actually, because he is exactly what the club wants.”
“It would be a terrible solution, so I am definitely saying no to him.”
Enzo Maresca
It’s no shock to see Maresca linked to the job, especially after he won the Conference League and the Club World Cup with Chelsea last summer. There is no doubting that he would bring quality to the club, but with him just recently leaving the Blues and with him also linked to being a future replacement Pep Guardiola and Man City (whenever the Spaniard leaves the club), it would be a surprise to see him takeover at Man United, but Parker believes that his recent sacking could deter the owners from hiring him.
“At the end of the day Maresca was very fortunate to win the Championship with Leicester and if you look at Chelsea, I actually think a lot of things were out of his control. In that way, he would be well prepared for the job at Manchester United.”
“It wouldn’t be right and in my opinion it would be a problem as well that he comes directly from being sacked at Chelsea. The fans want the new manager to come in with a positive story behind him.”
Luis Enrique
Reports surrounding Luis Enrique have been very interesting this week, as the PSG manager is reportedly refusing to sign a new contract at the French club. His current contract ends in 2027 and he was offered a big pay increase by PSG, but still refused. This has left many wondering if he wants to take on a new project in the near future. Parker believes he is a top coach, but one who may struggle in the United environment.
“First of all, Luis Enrique is not going to leave PSG, but he would also be a bad fit for Man United. I love him, but he is very much like Pep Guardiola in the way he manages. He is very intense and he gets rid of people.”
“We saw how he got rid of Gianluigi Donnarumma. He made his mind up and bang, Donnarumma was gone. That doesn’t work at Man United. There is no way he would be able to do that at Man United.”
“They won’t give him what he wants. That is a definite no, however I really like him.”
Unai Emery
Unai Emery has achieved remarkable things throughout his career at Villarreal and Sevilla, but struggled at Arsenal. He is doing great at Aston Villa, but there is still a big question mark over whether he can perform to a consistently high level at a big 6 club. Parker seems to rate him highly.
“As much as I like Unai Emery, I don’t think he wants to leave Aston Villa. He has found a place where he is appreciated and respected, not like he was mistreated at Arsenal.”
“Emery is a great manager, but because of the way he is as a person, I don’t think he wants to come to Man United. He is a very respectful person and strong minded, but I don’t think he considers Man United to be a step up.”
“He is great at man management, but the egos are much bigger at Man United. In general I think he is able to change people’s attitude, but I think it is almost impossible to change the attitude of certain Man United players. Actually for a lot of them.”
Andoni Iraola
Iraola may be having a tough time at Bournemouth right now, but that hasn’t ruined his reputation as a top manager. His management style is one that most enjoy, whilst his tactics are entertaining and could give Man United the breath of fresh air they need. He’s one of Parker’s favourites for the role.
“Andoni Iraola is among my favourites to take the job. He is a brilliant manager, but I think he is becoming maybe too big for Bournemouth. The club is built that way where they are losing their best players, like Semenyo is leaving for Man City now.”
“I think he is slowly realising that and realising he might have to take the next step now. Maybe he is feeling too comfortable, because at Bournemouth, he knows that if they are in a bad period, no one will question him. Everyone knows why and the pressure is a lot bigger at Man United.”
“Bournemouth is always being seen as a threat because he is the manager and that shows you a lot, because it is not the biggest club, but they have been doing things in a good way.”
“The question is if he can handle the pressure at Man United, but I think he can. I think he is a very good candidate for the job.”
Xavi
Xavi managed well at Barcelona and is a footballing legend, but Parker has concerns about whether he could work with the Man United hierarchy.
“With Xavi, he is very much like both Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique. We have to remember about Xavi, that he was born into the Barcelona style and system, so he has a very clear idea of what he wants.”
“They wouldn’t be able to get him what he wants. He has been coached and mentally formed into the way Pep is, so there is no way it could work, regardless of his qualities as a manager.”
