Gabriel Agbonlahor believes former Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce could be an option to take over at Manchester United on an interim basis.
The Manchester United managerial seat attracts media stories, with more names linked with every passing day. Although a permanent appointment is expected to happen only in the summer, PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino is considered the favourite to become the next full-time manager at Old Trafford.
Other names like Zinedine Zidane and Erik ten Hag, may also be unavailable at the moment. While the Frenchman remains on a break, the Ajax manager wants to finish the season after signing a new deal in the summer.
Kevin Phillips recently suggested Pochettino might not be the correct choice. The Argentine remains the favourite for the job, with recent stories stating he might be willing to take over. However, with PSG and their galaxy of stars competing to win the Champions League crown, the appointment might be delayed until the summer.
Hence, Manchester United are willing to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season, with many other names linked with the role. Michael Carrick is currently their stand-in manager, and despite winning his first game in charge against Villarreal in midweek, he is expected to step aside soon.
Steve Bruce is among those linked with the interim role, and Gabriel Agbonlahor has backed the idea of bringing the former Newcastle United boss to see the season through. The former Aston Villa star told Football Insider that Manchester United are in a mess right now, and it would be smart to appoint Bruce to steady the ship at Old Trafford.
Agbonlahor said, “They have not planned for this, I don’t think. If they had planned for this, Solskjaer would have been sacked in the international break. If Man United had drawn at Watford, he wouldn’t have been sacked. The manner of the defeat, the pressure from social media made them act. They didn’t have a plan, and they still don’t have a plan.
“The manager they might want is probably not available at the moment. They have to bring in an interim manager; they’ve got no choice. It’s a bit of mess at Man United, and it doesn’t look good. Bruce would be a good choice. He knows the club well and there’s no reason why not. But maybe they should look at a manager who has no association with the club.”
While Agbonlahor may have tipped Bruce for the job, Manchester United have gone a different way with reports indicating that German tactician Ralf Rangnick is set to take over as the interim manager at Old Trafford imminently.
