Manchester United travel to the Etihad looking for revenge on Pep Guardiola’s men with pressure building on Ralf Rangnick to turn his squad around in the little time he has left.
The Red Devils have been widely criticised for their lack of improvement and adaptability under the German architect of gegenpressing.
Their hierarchy’s long-term plan appears to be non-existent. They have struggled to hire and support the right managerial option to lead the team for the foreseeable future since Alex Ferguson left in 2013.
Since the summer of 2012 Manchester United have had a net spend of £830m – higher than any other club according to the CIES Football Observatory.
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The trajectory of United has been a downwards one while rivals City have become the top dogs not only in Manchester but also England, led by Guardiola, whose near-flawless accession to the throne at the Etihad has shown those across the city exactly how to do it.
And so United are set to hire another manager in another attempt to fix their fragmented team while City challenge for Champions League titles.
The tides have turned and will not change for years – but there is no reason why United cannot at least edge marginally closer.
Here are the possible managerial options for United as Rangnick moves to a rather vague “consultancy role” in the summer.
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His time at PSG has been more testing than expected – last season Lille claimed their first Ligue 1 title in 10 years to end the French capital’s run of three consecutive wins.
At Spurs Pochettino’s situation was quite the antithesis to the one in which he finds himself now. Despite a lack of financial support from chairman Daniel Levy, he took Tottenham all the way to the 2018-19 Champions League final.
However, his move to Paris could end up tarnishing his reputation if he fails to bag serious silverware with a front three of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr.
Maybe United will look at his past achievements in North London rather than in France as the 50-year-old has proven that he can work with little.
Erik ten Hag
With United fans calling for a rebuild Ten Hag would be the most suited to develop a youthful squad. Arguably there is no better youth development programme than Ajax and since his arrival in 2017 he has won three Eredivisie titles in a row.
The 52-year-old has also had success in Europe leading them to the 2018-19 Champions League semi-final – their first since 1997.
Players including Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga and Marcus Rashford at United would probably thrive under a manager who knows how to work with his players’ strengths as well as put his own stamp on the team.
Ajax is a historic institution bigger than any player or manager, much like United, meaning the Dutchman should be able to adapt quicker than most to the oft-mentioned “DNA of the club”.
Brendan Rodgers
Although the lowest profile name on this weighty list, Rodgers is no stranger to managing a big club although given the current success of Liverpool, it is easy to see why his three years at the club are overlooked.
In the 2013-14 season the Reds were in pole position to win their first Premier League but they were leapfrogged by City following the infamous Steven Gerrard slip against Chelsea.
The Northern Irishman has since lifted silverware at both Celtic and Leicester: an FA Cup last season, Leicester’s first.
Rodgers is experienced in the Premier League and has the ability to bring trophies to United as he did with Leicester, as well as raise the standards at a struggling giant as he did on Merseyside.
Diego Simeone
Mr Atletico Madrid himself – could he ever *really* leave? As recently as last season manager and club still seemed inseparable as they clinched their first La Liga title since 2014, but now they sit fifth fighting for Champions League football and 15 points off leaders Real Madrid.
At United rumours have circulated around possible changing room dramas and splits with fans calling for discipline. The Argentine, similar to Antonio Conte, is a no-nonsense coach and would probably not hesitate to discipline his players, whether that be Cristiano Ronaldo or a talented prospect. And he will demand the upmost effort from players with any place in the starting eleven up for grabs, a trait some say diminished alongside Ferguson’s departure.
Roberto Mancini
The United faithful will not want to be reminded of the 2011/12 final day: Martin Tyler screaming ‘Aguerooooo” as Mancini and City clinched the league title on goal difference will haunt many of their nightmares.
The former City coach should not be United’s first choice but his achievements and abilities as a manager cannot be denied.
Mancini rebuilt the Italian international team who failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup adding flair to their trademark defensive and methodical style.
He may be the ideal fit for a Red Devils rebuild, able to find a pragmatic style of play and deal with the weight of expectation.
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