Manager merry go round: Time to Decide

With Pep Guardiola set to announce his future plans next week, the manager merry go-round speculation is set to start again.

If as expected Guardiola announces his intention to leave the Bundesliga Champions at the end of his third season in charge this some would say, means he is on his way to the English Premier League. Manchester City have been long term admirers of the former Barcelona coach and Manuel Pellegrini is widely thought by many to be filling the seat until Guardiola is ready to move to Manchester.

This move would free up the top job at Bayern Munich.  Carlo Ancelotti is on a year off from football management and as luck would have it he would be available should Guardiola decide to leave next summer.   Given recent events at Chelsea Jose Mourinho could very well be out of work by then too, if not sooner.  This too could be another option for Pep at Chelsea and indeed Jose at Munich.

Should Pep go to either Chelsea or City, Ancelotti to Munich and with Jurgen Klopp now at Liverpool, Manchester United once again find themselves with little quality available to them to replace Louis Van Gaal when he retires in the Summer of 2017 or indeed should that departure be brought forward.

This was the very problem they faced when Alex Ferguson decided to retire in the summer of 2013. All of Europe's top coaches were tied up elsewhere.  Will United go for Ryan Giggs? Will they decide to offer Louis Van Gaal another contract? Will another surprise name emerge?  Lots of questions will be going through the minds of the hierarchy at Manchester United.  Fact remains Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola are deciding their futures now, We already know the future of Louis Van Gaal, he wants to leave in 2017.  Would he be open to bring this departure forward?  He may feel he doesn't need the stress or criticism he is currently receiving from Manchester United supporters.

The futures of three top managers in the game are up for decision.  Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho could all be available come this summer.  Manchester United would be foolish not to consider Jose Mourinho.  While he may not please many United fans and indeed Sir Bobby Charlton with his antics, we cannot hide from the face that he is one of the greatest managers of his generation and his close friendship with Sir Alex Ferguson could be a factor.  His recent slump with Chelsea should not count against him and if Chelsea did sack him he would feel no anxiety in a move to United's rivals.

Guardiola and Ancelotti too have to be considered but they may have already decided their futures should widespread speculation be believed.   With the future of some of Europe's top coaches under review and with their availability Manchester United should be head of the queue.  Even if this upsets some people along the way.  The next boss of Manchester United will be the third since Sir Alex Ferguson departed.  This will be three managers in four years after Sir Alex bringing the curtain down on his twenty six year reign in 2013.  Manchester United need to have a plan of action now, And as another great leader they have failed to replace once said " fail to prepare, prepare to fail".