England manager Gareth Southgate is being discussed for the Manchester United job, according to a report which was published by The Sun.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is under immense pressure at United and could be sacked soon if results from the club do not improve. Currently, the Red Devils look unlikely to finish in the top four this season. They look more like a side that will finish around the middle of the table.
Hiring Southgate could be risky
There is a strong argument to be made that Southgate will not be an ideal option to take over United at this point in time. It also remains to be seen if the 49-year-old will be willing to leave England soon considering that he has been building towards the 2020 European Championships and 2022 World Cup.
Many will also consider it a downgrade if Southgate had to swap England for United at this point in time. His current job is one of relative stability for the time being and England is among the favorites to advance deeply during the Euro 2020 tournament.
United on the other hand require extensive repair work to be done if they want to re-establish themselves as giants of English football following years of underachievement.
Southgate’s managerial record at club level is not impressive
Southgate actually did previously manage in the Premier League as he led Middlesbrough from 2006-2009. It has always been hard to achieve anything positive in the top-flight with Boro considering their constraints but he looked rather ordinary as a manager.
All in all, he led the Riverside club over 151 games in all competitions, winning 45 games before leaving the club in 2009.
United should rather go with someone who is tried and tested such as Mauricio Pochettino or even Max Allegri if they decide to part ways with the under-fire Solksjaer.
