The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Get the latest United updates, transfer news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox every day for free Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Zinedine Zidane is the bookmakers' favourite to take over at Manchester United should Jose Mourinho leave the club. The former Real Madrid manager has seen his odds slashed down to just 7-4 following United's defeat to Tottenham on Monday evening. Speculation continues to mount over Mourinho's role at United, however it is believed the club still have faith in the Portugese to turn around the poor start to the new Premier League season. United have taken just three points from their opening three matches of the new season, their worst start to a campaign since 1992. If United are unable to turn their fortunes around then rumours are likely to continue speculating Mourinho's future at the club - and there a number of names already linked with the Old Trafford hotseat should he leave. Zidane remains the clear favourite with the bookies, while former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino are also linked. United fans might also fancy a flutter on a quartet of United greats with Ryan Giggs, Gary Nevile, Laurent Blanc and Paul Scholes also touted as possible successors. Next United manager odds (Ladbrokes) 7-4 Zinedine Zidane 8-1 Antonio Conte 8-1 Mauricio Pochettino 10-1 Massimiliano Allegri 16-1 Carlo Ancelotti 16-1 Ryan Giggs 20-1 Didier Deschamps 20-1 Leonardo Jardim 25-1 Gary Neville 25-1 Laurent Blanc 25-1 Gareth Southgate 50-1 Paul Scholes Get all the latest Manchester United news first with our new app. Download it here now<doc-sep>Zidane, Pochettino & the managers that could succeed Mourinho at Manchester United With the Portuguese having been sacked in the wake of Sunday's humiliating loss at Liverpool, Goal looks at his possible replacements at Old Trafford The timing of Manchester United's announcement of Jose Mourinho's sacking may have caught everyone by surprise but the decision itself most certainly did not. Sunday's embarrassingly one-sided loss to bitter rivals Liverpool highlighted just how far behind the Premier League's elite the Red Devils have fallen this season. It had been thought that Mourinho would be given until the spring to turn things around but with the Anfield debacle having left United 11 points off fourth place, the Glazer family have decided to act. Article continues below The club have stated that an interim manager will be appointed until the end of the current campaign, and the current favourite is Michael Carrick, but who will be the next permanent boss at Old Trafford? Below, Goal takes a look at the potential candidates... ZINEDINE ZIDANE The favourite, both with the bookies and United's disgruntled supporters, is Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman stood down as Real Madrid boss after leading the Spanish side to a third consecutive Champions League triumph with a 3-1 victory over Liverpool in May. Despite his remarkable record in European competition, there are those that remain unconvinced by the former France international's coaching ability, with the argument being that he is tactically limited and also little more than a cup specialist. However, such an attitude does Zidane a huge disservice, given he also won La Liga in 2016-17 and showed a willingness to experiment more and take greater risks with different formations during his final season at the Santiago Bernabeu, utilising the likes of Marcos Asensio and Lucas Vazquez to excellent effect, most notably against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. There is no denying, though, that the most impressive aspect of his Real reign was the way in which he successfully managed a group of superstars, maintaining harmony in a dressing-room of massive egos and also rotating Cristiano Ronaldo regularly and effectively. One would imagine that one of the most revered figures in world football would have an even bigger impact upon on a United side that, despite Mourinho's protestations to the contrary, has been lacking in unity and confidence since the start of the season. MAURICIO POCHETTINO "For every single manager who is younger than him, he was an inspiration," Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said of Jose Mourinho earlier this season. "For everyone. I took a lot of things from him. So many things." It has is now evident that the student has become the master. Indeed, many have believed for some time that United erred badly by picking Mourinho rather than Pochettino to succeed Louis van Gaal as coach in 2016. By that stage, it was already abundantly obvious that the Argentine was one of the best young coaches in the game. Of course, the critics will point to the fact that Pochettino has yet to win a trophy of any note in north London but it is worth remembering that he took over a club in disarray and now has Tottenham competing and starring in the Champions League. Indeed, anybody who witnessed their victory over Real Madrid last season could not have been anything but impressed by the style and swagger of the display. It was a similar story at Old Trafford in August, with Pochettino making a mockery of Mourinho's constant moaning about Ed Woodward's parsimony by beating United 3-0 with a squad that wasn't strengthened by a single summer signing. The contrast between the pair, both in terms of style and personality, is stark and it is difficult not to conclude that Pochettino would get more out of United's players than Mourinho. The big question is, though: would he really want to swap Spurs for United right now?... ANTONIO CONTE United turning to Antonio Conte would come as a surprise, for a variety of reasons, chief among them the manner of his departure as Chelsea boss earlier this summer. Given Mourinho's public sniping over the club's recruitment strategy, would the Red Devils really want to hire a man who has clashed with his two previous bosses at club level over transfers? There's also the fact that Conte wants his next coaching role to be in his native Italy and it is believed that AC Milan have already identified him as a possible replacement for Gennaro Gattuso, while Inter's appointment of former Juventus director general Beppe Marotta has intensified speculation that the Nerazzurri could turn to Conte should they decide to sack the struggling Luciano Spalletti. Still, the 49-year-old would undoubtedly be drawn to such a high-profile position – and succeeding great rival Mourinho at Old Trafford would undoubtedly make it all the sweeter. Conte also has previous when it comes to awakening a sleeping giant, having transformed a Bianconeri team coming off the back of successive seventh-placed finishes in Serie A into Scudetto winners inside 12 months. The Italian is undeniably a winner – he even won the FA Cup during his second, turbulent season at Stamford Bridge – but his incredible intensity usually causes problems over time and United would perhaps be reluctant to replace Mourinho with an equally opinionated character. Then, there is also the small matter of Conte's ongoing legal battle with Chelsea... MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI On the face of it, Manchester United have little hope of landing Massimiliano Allegri, who is under contract at Juventus until 2020. The Italian even turned down Real Madrid during the summer, explaining in June: "I am grateful to president Florentino Perez for taking me into consideration, but I have always liked Juventus' plans, which are renewed every year with the aim of always winning. "I will look to continue the improvements that we began four years ago, alongside [Beppe] Marotta, [Fabio] Paratici, [Pavel] Nedved and the president." With Cristiano Ronaldo having since arrived in Turin, Allegri is now happier than ever before with his bosses, as he is now closer than ever to realising his dream of lifting the Champions League.<doc-sep>Manchester United’s Monday evening defeat to Tottenham at Old Trafford was Jose Mourinho’s heaviest at home in his entire career. Two goals from Lucas Moura and a Harry Kane header led to a tense post-game press conference in which the once-Special One demanded more respect for his achievements, before walking out while holding up three fingers. Two might have been more appropriate. Is Monday’s 3-0 reverse the beginning of the end for Mourinho's United reign? History suggests it could be, given Mourinho's previous struggles in in his third season at Chelsea, Real Madrid and Chelsea again. Prior to Monday Mourinho had already been forced to defend his relationship with Ed Woodward. Mourinho’s handling of Paul Pogba has also been the subject of intense speculation. Following victory over Leicester City on the opening day of the season, the Frenchman's post-match comments generated more questions than answers on the state of the United squad's harmony.<doc-sep>Manchester Utd: Mourinho's style of play is 'outdated' says fan HERE for the latest MUFC breaking news and transfer updates SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign upfor the latest MUFC breaking news and transfer updates When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Manchester United are in crisis mode at present with Mourinho cutting an increasingly dejected figure both on and off the pitch. The 55-year-old was livid after the Red Devils lost 3-2 to Brighton last weekend and answered just 13 questions during a brief eight-minute press conference today. Manchester United have been strongly linked with former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, who quit the Bernabeu back in May. And Carragher thinks the Red Devils WILL have a new manager in charge soon enough, with Mourinho also tipped to start from scratch. The former Liverpool star told the Daily Telegraph: “If Mourinho leaves United at some stage this season – and I do believe they will have a new coach a year from now – what big job can he expect next? “Of course he will still be one of the world’s most esteemed and coveted coaches, but his next club position would have to be in the tier just below the current elite. “He would have to go somewhere seeking to rebuild, trying to catch-up, rather than one where the foundations are in place and he can target the world’s most expensive players. “No other team in the Premier League’s top six would pursue him. Man Utd news: Jose Mourinho is under pressure at Old Trafford Man Utd news: Zinedine Zidane has been tipped to replace Jose Mourinho “Real Madrid and Barcelona are no longer realistic options, nor Juventus. “I don’t believe PSG would take him at the moment. “It would be a different profile of role, back to the start of his career when he was in Portugal. “In some respects it would be exciting to see Jose in that kind of environment again, where I believe he would show everyone how good he is. Man Utd news: Jamie Carragher expects Jose Mourinho to lose his job Manchester United: Mourinho hasn't improved players says pundit<doc-sep>
Jose Mourinho's tenure at Manchester United appears to have entered the home straight. A summer that saw him at loggerheads with the board and singling out some of his key players for criticism took an even more tumultuous turn following the dismal defeat at Brighton on Sunday. Disjointed on the pitch, lacking direction off it and hampered by a combination of poor recruitment and a lack of signings, United's season is already perilously close to a write-off. While a large section of supporters remain behind Mourinho and hold the board responsible for the current predicament, the tide appears to be turning against the Portuguese, whose dull style of soccer has won very few friends in his time at Old Trafford. Mourinho is under contract until the end of the next campaign but has never spent more than three consecutive seasons at a club throughout his career, and has already been installed by bookmakers as the favorite to become the first Premier League manager sacked. So could United turn to if they want to replace him? Mauricio Pochettino Some United fans wanted the Argentinian to be appointed even before Mourinho replaced Louis Van Gaal in the summer of 2016. Pochettino has turned Tottenham Hotspur into an established top-four side without spending a fortune and has developed the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Kieran Trippier into Premier League stars. In the eyes of many, his attacking soccer philosophy and the trust he puts in young players make him the ideal candidate to pick up the baton Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013. Pochettino has spent five seasons in the Premier League and knows the division inside out, a considerable advantage compared to some of the other potential replacements for Mourinho. His detractors, however, point to the fact that entertaining as his brand of soccer is, the Argentine is yet to win a single trophy as a manager. Furthermore, Pochettino signed a new five-year deal with Spurs last summer and United would in all likelihood have to pay an absolute fortune to convince Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to let him go. Zinedine Zidane The Frenchman left his Real Madrid post in June after winning the Champions League in three consecutive seasons, and while Manchester United's prestige and tradition would obviously appeal to him, there are a lot of question marks. Zidane would be a dream appointment for United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, a man for whom the commercial profile of players and managers is always high on the list of priorities when discussing signings and appointments. However, he left Madrid because he felt the club's president, Florentino Perez, did not back him adequately in the transfer window. Given Mourinho has had exactly the same issue at United, it seems unlikely Zidane would take the job, particularly as he admitted the pressure of delivering constant success had taken a toll on him. After weeks of being linked with a move to Old Trafford, on August 21 United denied any interest in Zizou. Laurent Blanc Not quite as high-profile a name as Pochettino or Zidane, Blanc could nevertheless be an attractive option for United. The 1998 World Cup-winner is available immediately, which means the club would not have to pay any compensation to lure him away from a different club. He knows the environment at Old Trafford, having spent two seasons at United. Blanc's tenure in France yielded a league title with Bordeaux and three with Paris Saint-Germain—where he won all four domestic trophies available for two consecutive seasons—with a two-year spell in charge of the national team sandwiched in between. The 52-year-old left PSG after what he described as three "draining" seasons but has hinted he would like to manage abroad. United could also turn to him in the hope of convincing fellow Frenchmen Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba to remain at the club, after the pair were linked with a move away from United throughout the summer. Antonio Conte Much like Pochettino, Conte knows the Premier League, having won the title with Chelsea in his first season in England. Much like Blanc, the Italian is available immediately after Chelsea parted ways with him in July, bringing his reign to an end after two seasons. Of the other potential successors, Conte's brand of soccer is arguably the closest to Mourinho's. That could make him an unpalatable appointment for United fans, who have been starved of excitement since Ferguson left in 2013.