Next Manchester United manager odds and predictions

Mauricio Pochettino has been backed into favouritism to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United manager after reports that the Paris St-Germain coach would consider a move to Old Trafford.

Solskjaer was sacked in the aftermath of United's 4-1 Premier League defeat at Watford on Saturday and interim boss Michael Carrick is set to lead the Red Devils in Tuesday's Champions League group game away to Villarreal.

Former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane and Leicester's Brendan Rodgers have already traded as favourites to become United's next permanent manager but Pochettino was cut to 6-5 market leader by Monday evening.

Sacked by Tottenham in November 2019, the Argentinian took over at PSG in January 2021 after Thomas Tuchel's departure to Chelsea. United are thought to be long-time admirers of Pochettino although they may struggle to tempt him away from PSG, who are 11 points clear in Ligue 1 and are 11-2 to win the Champions League this season, before the end of the current campaign.

Rodgers is 4-1 second-favourite and Carrick is a 6-1 chance as most bookmakers' rules stipulate that anyone appointed as a caretaker or interim manager will be paid out as a winner if they take charge of ten matches.

A club statement on Sunday suggested that an interim manager would be appointed until the end of the campaign, leading to strong support in the betting for Carrick, who had been as big as 33-1 before that announcement.

Former United centre-backs Laurent Blanc (16-1) and Steve Bruce (20-1), who left Newcastle last month, could also be considered as short-term options to fill the vacancy at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils slipped to eighth in the Premier League after their humiliating loss at Watford and they are 5-4 to finish in the top four this season. Ladbrokes expect United to be serious contenders next term, however, quoting them at 5-1 to win the title in 2022-23.

Zidane was installed as the early favourite after Solskjaer's sacking before drifting as attention switched to Carrick, Rodgers and German tactician Ralf Rangnick.

Zidane has been out of work since his second spell at Real Madrid ended in May. Of the first seven in the betting, the Frenchman is the only coach currently not in a job, although there are some doubts over how enthusiastic he is about the position.

Rangnick, the footballing brain behind the rise of Red Bull's football clubs, most notably RB Leipzig, would be an intriguing move given the coach’s influence on United's rival managers Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.

The 63-year-old was available at 33-1 in the morning before steadily shortening to 8-1.

Erik Ten Hag, as short as 7-1 in places, is also well fancied in the market. The Ajax manager reached the Champions League semi-final in 2019 and his side have again qualified for the knockout stages of Europe's premier competition this year.

The Dutchman has been praised for his tactical nous and attractive playing style but there are doubts over whether he would leave Ajax midway through the season.

Rodgers has also been linked with the vacant position in recent weeks but the difficulties his Leicester side have endured this season may have made a move less likely.

United have won seven of their 17 games in all competitions this season and have kept just two clean sheets in that time.

Solskjaer became the sixth Premier League manager to be sacked this season but the board's delay in making the decision has exposed a lack of forward planning at the club.

If the former Molde and Cardiff manager had departed before the international break, it would have given time for a new coach to bed in.

There has been criticism that United's decision-making process is often reactive rather than proactive, and the actions of the board have put the club in a difficult position whereby the likely candidates for the job are almost all in work and unlikely to jump ship without a clear long-term plan.

Despite the summer signings of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Red Devils are 12 points adrift of the top of the Premier League table in seventh, and the new manager's priority is sure to be the side's poor defensive record.

The Red Devils have conceded first in nine of their last 12 matches and have not kept a clean sheet at home in the league since their 1-0 win over West Ham on March 14.

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