Alonso is free but not simple, Manchester United weighs risks and club traditions

Gilabola.com – There is a new name on the list of candidates for Manchester United’s permanent coach, Xabi Alonso, who was previously fired by Real Madrid, even though the club set important conditions that could potentially eliminate four other candidates.

United have just announced that Michael Carrick has been appointed as interim coach until the end of the season while waiting for the club to consider a permanent coach for next season.

Carrick will continue the work of Darren Fletcher, who was only trusted to manage the team in two matches against Burnley and Brighton after replacing the sacked Ruben Amorim.

While Carrick will focus on establishing stability and providing calm in the dressing room following Amorim’s dismissal, the club has begun to significantly narrow down its search criteria for a new coach.

The latest report states that Manchester United is now prioritizing candidates with Premier League experience. This policy is not without reason. The adaptation difficulties experienced by Amorim and Erik ten Hag are a factor to consider.

Trusted journalist, David Ornstein, also agrees with this report, saying that the club considers experience in the Premier League as a crucial factor in dealing with technical and non-technical demands.

So, with these new conditions, practically at least four names have been eliminated from the list of previously favored candidates, such as Julian Nagelsmann, Xavi Hernandez, Zinedine Zidane and Luis Enrique.

Even though this last name was mentioned as the favorite candidate thanks to his proven experience and achievements from Barcelona to PSG, this new requirement could close his chances.

This condition indirectly makes Alonso the only candidate from the initial list who is still being considered, even though his background as a former Liverpool player also has its own problems.

Why hasn’t he ever coached in the Premier League? That’s true, but at least the Spanish tactician is considered to understand the culture of the Premier League because he has played here.

Manchester United reportedly do not want to easily relax these conditions, because they risk repeating the adaptation problems of previous managers who came with a good reputation, but ultimately failed in the Premier League.

For Alonso, actually the tradition factor cannot be ignored because he is a former Liverpool player. United have a long history of never appointing a coach with the background of their former rival player.

Our opinion

Alonso does offer a cheap and quality solution, but there are many aspects that need to be considered, from tactical suitability, squad management abilities, to adaptation in the Premier League, which means Manchester United needs a coach who is more experienced and has a clear long-term project.

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