Former Manchester United midfielder, Clayton Blackmore, has had his say on who should replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford, claiming there are two key candidates who can bring glory back to the red half of Manchester.
In an exclusive interview with Bookmakers.com, Blackmore expressed fears that in the interim, United’s woes are not over with Carrick in interim charge, especially when it comes to fitness due to the former midfielder’s integral involvement in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign.
“I hope Michael does well. But my worry is that he has been there at the club for a number of years,” Blackmore who starred for the Red Devils from 1982 until 1994 told Bookmakers.com.
“He’s been involved in the coaching when Ole has been in charge and the players are not fit enough.”
Despite his short-term reservations, though, Blackmore believes one
former Tottenham Hotspur Manager, Mauricio Pochettino, is the perfect man to bring back glory to Man United, but he’ll need luring away from stars like Lionel Messi at PSG.
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He said: “I like Pochettino and I thought he would lead Tottenham to the title a few seasons ago when Leicester won it.
“But he did get Spurs to the final of the Champions League.
“Playing [their home games] at Wembley did them no favours as the
opposition players lifted their game because they were playing in that
stadium.
“But he’s proved he is a good manager capable of turning things around
at United.”
The Welshman and former United midfielder also showered praise on Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers who, he says, could also bring success back to Old Trafford in a short time frame.
“I’d also take Brendan Rodgers because he likes to play two up front
and I like to see that,” Blackmore added.
“Ole often opted for five defenders and two central midfielders rather
than 4-4-2 which United should be playing especially at Old Trafford
with Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani up front.
“Rodgers has done a great job at Leicester in the time he has been there.
“Whoever the new manager is, and if they can improve the fitness of the players, then it could be a quick turnaround to make United title contenders again.”
Many onlookers were quick to jump on Ole’s back while he was in charge
at Manchester United and from Blackmore’s point of view, the Norwegian
didn’t have the ardour for the job, especially during the bad times and said Solskjaer could have done with the fire and fury of two of his former teammates which might have had a greater impact on the Manchester United dressing room this season.
“I think passion was another thing missing from Ole,” he noted.
“He celebrated goals, but you have to be upset when things don’t go your way.
“Wouldn’t it be great to have Mark Hughes and Roy Keane in charge? There wouldn’t be a lack of passion then.”
In the same interview with Bookmakers.com, Blackmore discarded claims that Solskjaer had lost the dressing room and blamed the Manchester
United player’s fitness levels’, where he says many of the red devils
should take inspiration from their talisman’s work rate and dedication
to the sport.
“When pundits say the United players were not playing for Ole, that’s rubbish.
“I hate it when people say that. They’ve been playing that way all season.
“If the players had lifted their energy levels and worked harder, Ole
would still be in a job.
“Look at Manchester City, when they close their opponents down, they
do so in numbers of five or six.
“United haven’t been doing that. The players need to get fitter so
they can make more space on the pitch.
“They need to look at the likes of Ronaldo and do what he does.
“At his age, he is fitter than most of the players in the Premier
League and that’s because he works hard physically and mentally – now
and when he was first at the club.”
Blackmore, who spent eight years working at the club’s academy when
Mason Greenwood was coming through the youth system, insists United’s
struggles this season have not all been down to Solskjaer.
The former Welsh midfielder lays a lot of the blame for United’s poor start to the season at the feet of the players and hopes to see a major improvement from them in the weeks and months to come without Solskjaer in charge.
“It’s a pity for Ole the way things have finished for him,” Blackmore said.
“But supporters will always remember what he did for the club with
that winning goal in the final of the Champions League at the Nou Camp
in 1999.
“We haven’t been playing well for a while.
“But the players were not doing what they should have been doing.
“The fans are right in that the players need to stand up and be counted.
“It’s down to them as well. They know how to play the game and that’s why they are playing for a club like Manchester United.”
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