Next Manchester United Manager Odds: Brendan Rodgers Installed As Favourite As Pressure Continues To Grow On Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

There is a sense of inevitability looming over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stint as Manchester United manager, with there being a growing consensus that he is ultimately not the main to take the club to the lofty heights they want to return to.

Solskjaer has suffered two of the worst defeats of his tenure in the last month, losing 5-0 to Liverpool at Old Trafford before last weekend’s 2-0 home loss to Manchester City. Both results highlighted the gulf in quality between United and the true title contenders in the Premier League and how well drilled and organised the other teams were.

At the time of writing there has been no approach from United to any other managers, but it’s surely only a matter of time before a decision is made. They have lost three of their last four games in the Premier League, conceding 11 goals in the process and are already nine points behind league leaders Chelsea.

Most sports betting sites are taking bets on who the next Manchester United manager will be and the current favourite is Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers. The club have missed the opportunity to go for Antonio Conte, who was the hottest free agent manager on the market before he joined Tottenham Hotspur – ironically in the wake of a 3-0 defeat to the Red Devils that saw Nuno Espirito Santo relieved of his duties. 

Below, are the current odds for the next Manchester United manager, supplied by William Hill.

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Next Manchester United Manager Odds

• Brendan Rodgers – 5/4
• Zinedine Zidane – 5/1
• Mauricio Pochettino – 7/1
• Ralf Ragnick – 9/1
• Erik ten Hag – 10/1
• Diego Simeone – 20/1
• Roberto Martinez – 25/1
• Gareth Southgate – 33/1
• Laurent Blanc – 33/1

Would United Fans Accept Rodgers?

It’s somewhat surprising to see former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers installed as the 5/4 favourite to be the next Manchester United boss given his ties to the Anfield club. Rodgers was Liverpool manager between 2012 and 2015 and nobody has ever managed both clubs in their history.

The rivalry is so fierce that only Paul Ince and Michael Owen have played for both clubs in the Premier League era and it would be an enormous swing away from a manager who, despite his faults, is still largely loved by the United faithful. 

With Rodgers in charge there is the sense that the fans will not be anywhere near as forgiving as they have with Solskjaer’s shortcomings and would be quick to jump on him and the appointment at the first time of asking, similar to Rafa Benitez at Everton. Surely we couldn’t see two former Liverpool managers in the dugout at Old Trafford and Goodison Park in the same season, could we?

Zidane, Pochettino Look Out Of Reach

With Antonio Conte now well and truly out of the frame, the two biggest names that are linked to the role are Zinedine Zidane (5/1) and Mauricio Pochettino (7/1). 

Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in the summer and has previously been linked with a move to Old Trafford. He has had enormous success with two of United’s latest signings in Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo and both would likely be reference providers for the Frenchman. Boasting three Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles as a manager, Zidane has been a serial winner as a coach but is yet to be tested outside of Spain.

As for Pochettino, it is well known that he has a number of admirers amongst the Old Trafford hierarchy, including Sir Alex Ferguson, who he has met privately in the past. However, he is less than a year into his tenure at Paris Saint-Germain and extended his contract with the Ligue 1 side until the summer of 2023 earlier this year. Pochettino has a terrific chance to win the Champions League with a Galactico-esque squad in Paris and it would be extremely difficult to tempt him away from that opportunity.

Outside Contenders

Erik ten Hag is a name that many United fans have been calling for over recent weeks and it’s clear to see why given their stellar performances in the Champions League. ten Hag has built a wonderful team at Ajax despite regularly seeing his star players poached by European giants and could also be the man to rejuvenate Donny van de Beek’s stuttering career. He is a valuable 10/1.

Ralf Ragnick has become Europe’s answer to Alan Curbishley given how often he is linked to roles in England and is currently the Manager of Sports and Development for Russian Premier League club FC Lokomotiv Moscow. He looks an unlikely shout at 9/1, as is 20/1 shot Diego Simeone, who is now 10 years into his stint as Atletico Madrid manager. 

Other options featured in Roberto Martinez (25/1), Gareth Southgate (33/1) and Laurent Blanc (33/1) will do little to excited United supporters and these are the rank outsiders on the majority of football betting sites for a reason.

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