Top 10 candidates to replace Moyes

Top 10 candidates to replace Moyes

The pressure is still on the Scot despite him guiding Man United to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Our columnist looks at who can turn things around at Old Trafford.

1 LAURENT BLANC

If and when David Moyes leaves Manchester United, it's almost certain that he'll be replaced by the Red Devils' first-ever foreign coach, such is the scarcity of top-class British managers who could conceivably take the job.

Blanc, as an ex-United player, may well appeal to supporters. He is a keen student of the game and looks like following up his shock French League title win with Bordeaux in 2009 with a not-so-surprising triumph with Paris St-Germain.

The one stumbling block could be a financial one - he's on walletbusting numbers in Paris.

Chances: 6/10

Current role: Paris St-Germain

2 LOUIS VAN GAAL

The Dutch coach is quitting the national team after the World Cup to be replaced by Guus Hiddink.

The UK media are adamant that the notoriously "difficult" van Gaal will rock up at Tottenham in place of Tim Sherwood but, with Moyes' United resembling a Bintan ferry that's coming under fire from Russian warships, the Glazers may be tempted to hijack the move and appoint a proven winner.

Chances: 7/10

Current role: Holland

3 JUPP HEYNCKES

Heynckes bowed out of management at the very top after leading Bayern Munich to an incredible treble last season, but at 68 he's still younger than Sir Alex Ferguson (72) and would surely be an ideal stopgap option.

Following his success last season, he told a German interviewer: "After everything that's happened over the past two years, I'm ready for some peace and quiet. I have no intention of coaching again. I had a worthy ending. (But) I have a problem with the finality of saying 'never'."

The door's ajar then…

Chances: 7/10

Current role: None

4 JUERGEN KLOPP

The heavy metal lover with the sports science degree won two league titles on the bounce with his attacking Borussia Dortmund side in 2011 and 2012, despite having to cope with the loss of star player after star player to biggerspending rivals.

Those players include Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa, who has flopped since his move to Old Trafford, and it'd be intriguing to see if Klopp could revitalise the former Bundesliga Player of the Year's career.

Klopp would surely be tempted with a move to United after seeing Bayern Munich run away with this season's German league title, knowing full well that Pep Guardiola will have even more cash to splurge in the off-season.

Chances: 9/10

Current role: Borussia Dortmund

5 STEVE BRUCE

If United do decide to go British, then who are the options?

The most qualified Brit has to be Brendan Rodgers, but there's more chance of the Northern Irishman re-signing Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing from West Ham than there is of him heading to Old Trafford.

Paul Lambert? Deserves consideration, but another Scot following in the giant footsteps of Sir Alex? No chance.

That leaves former United player and captain Steve Bruce, whom you could argue has yet to leave a club in a worse position than when he arrived.

Chances: 3/10

Current role: Hull City

6 RUDI GARCIA

Like Blanc, Garcia is another manager who tasted success in France against the odds.

Garcia joined Roma last summer after guiding Lille to the Ligue 1 title in 2011, and his attacking style of play has revitalised the Italian side.

Roma look set to finish in a very creditable second place, behind rampant Juventus and ahead of the Milan clubs, Napoli and big-spending Parma, and the Frenchman could be ready to move on to a truly elite club.

Chances: 8/10

Current role: Roma

7 FABIO CAPELLO

The former England manager is a notorious disciplinarian who would look to get United firmly back on track in a short-to-medium term move.

Capello also has unfinished business in England after the national team's failure to progress beyond the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup and his controversial departure from the role in the wake of the John Terry racism scandal.

His Serie A and La Liga titles, plus the Champions League crown he won with AC Milan, looks pretty good next to Moyes' sole trophy - the second division title with Preston North End 14 years ago.

Chances: 6/10

Current role: Russia

8 ANTONIO CONTE

The Juventus coach has built a prodigiously-talented team who are almost certain to secure a third-successive Serie A title, thanks to a five-month unbeaten run in the league.

Conte continues to get the best out veterans like Andrea Pirlo and mercurial talents such as Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal because of his imaginative approach.

After his AC Milan side were beaten by Juventus earlier this month, Clarence Seedorf said: "Who can stop them? A tank!"

Chances: 6/10

Current role: Juventus

9 DIEGO SIMEONE

A bullish personality who would fancy his chances in any situation, even one as tough as that facing a prospective United manager.

He would surely transform them into a more combative side, one that would stick together - in short, he would demand a winning mentality where the weak simply wouldn't survive.

His Atletico Madrid side are standing toe to toe with Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga, despite possessing a miniscule amount of resources in comparison to those footballing behemoths.

Chances: 8/10

Current role: Atletico Madrid

10 FRANK DE BOER

Not only have Ajax collected three consecutive Eredevisie titles under the Dutchman's shrewd guidance, but their free-flowing football has also made them the great entertainers once more.

De Boer knows Ajax are a selling club, and that will surely be of immense frustration when he wants to challenge himself against the very best.

The one positive in losing players like Luis Suarez and Wesley Sneijder is that de Boer has been forced to fast-track promising players much sooner, and this has borne fruit with the recent emergence of Viktor Fischer, Ricardo van Rhijn, Siem de Jong and Davy Klaassen.

Chances: 6/10

Current role: Ajax


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