Have Manchester United left it too late to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer?

By Jonny Bray

The most common criticism of Manchester United’s decision to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been about the timing.

Some have said that the United board left it too late to sack the Norwegian.

Antonio Conte is gone, the international break is over, and the Red Devils have been left with Michael Carrick as caretaker boss.

Had they made this decision after the 5-0 home defeat against Liverpool, they would have had more managers to choose from, a few weeks to play with during the approaching international break and more games to play.

But it is not that simple, and there were many advantages to waiting.

Solskjaer had become a master of saving his job just as he seemed to be on the verge of getting the sack while in charge at United.

If he could have recovered from the recent poor form, the board at Old Trafford could have waited until the summer to make their decision.

Who could replace him?

One of the reasons United haven’t left it too late is because, from their perspective, the list of potential replacements for Ole hasn’t changed.

Conte was never going to be Manchester United manager.

Fans of United were saying it, and players with close links to the club were saying the same thing.

The worry for Red Devils fans is that it doesn’t seem like that the list of potential managerial replacements is likely to grow any time soon.

All of the best managers in the world are tied down and comfortable at a club of near-equal standing to United.

In an ideal world, Thomas Tuchel, Diego Simeone or Pep Guardiola would be waiting, unattached and ready to take over.

As things stand, though, United look as if they’ll need to convince a manager already in a job to jump ship, and this is always easier said than done.

However, there has been talk in the press of Mauricio Pochettino wanting out at PSG.

If United could get him now, no one would suggest that they’d timed Ole’s departure poorly.

What will they do if they can’t get Poch?

The big issue for the United board will be that if they can’t get Poch, their options are extremely limited.

Brendan Rodgers is a fine coach, but you can expect his arrival in Manchester to be met with groans, not cheers.

Zinedine Zidane may have his fans, but I’m not convinced.

The Frenchman suited his Real Madrid side perfectly when they won three consecutive Champions Leagues.

There’s no guarantee he’ll replicate his success in Manchester, and it feels like United need a proven Premier League manager at the helm.

Where does the club go from here?

United are in disarray.

With Carrick in charge, they’ve traded one club legend with little experience for another.

The squad seems disjointed and filled with players who aren’t performing to the best of their abilities.

It’s astounding to see how quickly the mood at the club has deteriorated.

In the space of eight weeks, the red side of Manchester has gone from jubilant to dejected.

It is hard not to feel sorry for Ole, he seems like a great guy, and he’s done an excellent job.

The club is in a better place now than they were the day he took over.

However, whether or not United have timed his sacking well is still unclear and will remain unclear until we see how the board responds.

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