Manchester United boss Michael Carrick suffered his first Premier League defeat in the role as Newcastle United scored a stoppage time winner in their midweek fixture against the Red Devils to clinch a 2-1 success.
The Red Devils have been pretty convincing under their former midfielder, however, and the game versus the Magpies can be seen as a blip in a generally good run of form, which has seen them emerge as top four contenders.
Having said that, the board remains on the hunt for permanent managerial appointments in the summer even though Carrick’s retention as a long-term coach is still a strong option.
Express has reported that two former Premier League bosses, Roberto Martinez and Roberto De Zerbi, have emerged as serious contenders for the job at Old Trafford, alongside Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Nagelsmann the most ideal choice
Roberto De Zerbi left Olympique Marseille some weeks ago and is available immediately. Over Roberto Martinez and Julian Nagelsmann, he will be readily available and more importantly, he does not have a World Cup to coach at during the summer.
While Nagelsmann will be with Germany, Martinez is set to take the reigns for Portugal. Therefore, both of them would likely be available later into the summer, by which Manchester United’s pre-season preparations are likely to have started.
De Zerbi, although a very good option for he has done at Brighton & Hove Albion, is an inferior coach compared to Julian Nagelsmann, who has not only got rich experience having led Bayern Munich, but is also a tactically flexible boss.
United require a manager who will get the best out of their recent signings and Nagelsmann’s idea of a high pressing system without the ball and quick movements in possession will benefit the current set of players the club has.
It remains to be seen if Manchester United are prepared to wait for a World Cup coach to join by July or if they would like to complete their recruitment before the summer transfer window is in full flow to aid their squad planning.
