Brendan Rogers as next Manchester United manager is a terrible idea

Manchester United have continued to dominate headlines, sadly more for their poor form than anything else.

They have been bad lately, winning just four of their last 12 games in all competitions and losing six. All this despite fielding the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane. 

Of course, the blame has largely fallen on Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is not the proudest man at the moment. Calls have been growing louder from all corners for the Norwegian to be sacked, but the United hierarchy seem content to continue with the club legend who signed a fresh three-year deal in the summer.

There aren't many free managers at the moment with Zinedine Zidane the most high profile availability. There are however doubts over his adaptability to England largely due to the fact he is not fluent in communicating in English.

One of the other names linked with the job at Old Trafford is Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers. Some believe he is the right man who ticks the boxes when it comes to tactical prowess, man management and winning trophies.

As much as these are good traits, a closer review of Rodgers' managerial history doesn't make him the best option for United.

Rodgers might be a good tactician, but it should be pointed out that he has managed at clubs where there was not much pressure and scrutiny. Sure he did have time at big clubs like Liverpool and Celtic, but the amount of attention on those clubs is not comparable to United. It therefore gave him ample time to work and bring good results. 

There is always the claim that Solskjaer has been given enough time at United compared to other managers before him. Well, maybe this might come with the bias of him being a beloved club legend, but Rodgers would not enjoy such a privilege if things went south fast.

Speaking of things going south, Rodgers has the reputation of not qualifying Leicester for the Champions League. During the 2019-20 season, the Foxes sat in third place for much of the campaign, but lost steam and were beaten to it by United on the very last day after a 2-0 loss at the King Power Stadium.

During the 2020-21 campaign, all the East Midlands outfit needed was to beat Tottenham Hotspur, again at the King Power Stadium on the final day, but they lost 4-2 and ultimately handed Chelsea fourth spot.

One can say Leicester dealt with injuries and it affected their form, but no club hierarchy is going to hear that. Certainly not Liverpool, who were this close to losing out last season, but got it done. The inability to make the top four is arguably the gravest of sins to the Glazer family. It is what cost celebrated coaches in Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho their jobs despite winning trophies.

Onto trophies, Rodgers had a near miss with the Premier League title while at Liverpool and he's not been forgiven ever since. Sure he found redemption in Scotland by winning seven domestic titles with Celtic, but as much as that was a good feat, the competitiveness of Scottish football and how well their clubs perform in Europe will always be questioned.

Rodgers won the FA Cup with Leicester, but it's common knowledge that such competitions are lotteries that anyone can win, evidenced by Wigan Athletic's triumph over an expensively-assembled Manchester City squad in 2013. The bigger trophies like the Premier League and Champions League are what really matter and count for better recognition.

It has to be said that Rodgers coaching is more developmental, bringing out the best in players and making them competitive. It's no surprise Leicester players are constantly linked or sold to bigger clubs. It was the same for Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham where he evolved players like Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Harry Winks, Christian Eriksen and Heung-min Son.

Pochettino is now struggling to get the best out of his star-studded squad at PSG. Having to massage egos and settle clashes of interest and star power can be a huge job and a distraction from desired plans.

Will Rodgers be able to achieve this at Man United having never had to deal with a star-studded squad?

Rodgers might be a good coach, but at the end of the day, he's only slightly an upgrade to Solskjaer and not someone the club needs if they want to carry on from wherever the 1999 Champions League winner stops. It is not another squad-building manager that is needed at this point, it is a serial winner that can instantly harness the power and quality of the players on ground.

Sadly, Rodgers does not tick those boxes.

As painful as it might sound, this is not the right time for Solskjaer to go. It is right for the club to stick with him because there is just not a suitable manager at the moment. Perhaps once the season ends, there will be more clarity and options available. 

Until then, Solskjaer must find a way to turn the tide around. He did it during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons to finish in the top four and that will be the minimum once again.

Failure to do that and the Red Devils will plunge into more problems that will make Rodgers less than ideal to fix.

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Kunle is an avid writer with interest in topics on sports, politics and health. His articles have featured in Goal.com, Opera News and Vanguard News. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in International Relations and is an advocate for people living with Hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions.

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