Cristiano Ronaldo has sensationally been tipped to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the odds on him to be axed as Manchester United manager have been slashed.
Solskjaer will be under increasing pressure to deliver a trophy for the Red Devils this season as he approaches three years in charge. Ronaldo’s ‘coaching’ of his teammates divided opinionOne chance has already gone as United lost to West Ham in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
The Norwegian has been backed in the transfer market with the signings of Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane this summer.
Now Ladbrokes have slashed the odds on Solskjaer to be sacked by Christmas to just 5/2. Former Tottenham and Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood believes Ronaldo might be the ready made replacement for Solskajer.
The Portugal superstar was already seen giving out instructions on the sideline in last week’s Champions League tie, a move that divided opinion. Solskjaer is under pressure to win something at Man United this season Sherwood said: “I think it’s OK that Ronaldo’s on the touchline and Ole’s going to have to accept it. If he brings him to his football club you’ve got to know what you’re bringing in. It’s a completely different Ronaldo to the one who was at Old Trafford the first time around.
“He knows how he’s needed and if he feels like he needs to stand next to the manager and give instructions then you’ve got to let him do that. I’m not sure he’d be doing that with Jose Mourinho mind you, it would be very different with him still in charge, but you’d also have to ask Ronaldo why he feels it’s necessary to stand up and give some instruction in the first place.
“We’ve seen him do it on the international stage, most recently at the Euros, barking out orders. That boy will be a manager 100 percent. I would have a bet on him being Manchester United manager in 18 months. Whenever Ronaldo finishes playing I think he will become a manager, it will be an automatic choice. Ronaldo maybe 36, but he has hit the ground running on his Old Trafford return“If they win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, any of those trophies, then Solskjaer keeps his job, but if they don’t win anything I think they’ve got a manager there in the making. He could bring an experienced coach in there with him – someone like Carlos Queiroz – as he’ll know plenty of them, and I can see him being a manager at Man United in the future.
“He’s almost coaching now; you saw it at the weekend during the warm-up whispering in Varane’s and Maguire’s ears, but I don’t think it’s that he needs the captain’s armband to be a leader, he leads by example anyway. He did when he was at United the first time it’s just now he’s being more vocal with it.”
Ladbrokes have also made Ronaldo 50/1 to be the next Man United manager.
Credit: Talk Sport