Man Utd Face ‘Obstacle’ in Proposed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Appointment

The Red Devils are expected to name an interim manager in the coming days.

There are more considerations than the manager himself. / Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu/Getty Images

Manchester United continue to weigh up who will lead the team for the rest of this season following last week’s dismissal of Ruben Amorim, although a potential obstacle has arisen for Ole Gunnar Solskjær when it comes to support staff.

Darren Fletcher has been handed initial control until after Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion, having already overseen a midweek Premier League draw with Burnley.

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The Scot, officially the club’s U18s manager, is believed to be in contention to land the senior team on a slightly more formal basis until the summer, when a permanent appointment will then be made. But Solskjær is also in the mix, as is former United captain Michael Carrick, and even Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had a short spell in charge just before Amorim arrived in 2024.

ESPN notes that Fletcher has impressed the club hierarchy, while Van Nistelrooy is said to believe he features lower down the list of options. Of the external candidates, Carrick was first to hold a face-to-face meeting with senior staff, with Solskjær following suit on Saturday. Van Nistelrooy hasn’t yet.

There is, however, uncertainty as to who would be in Solskjær’s backroom coaching staff. The Norwegian’s last support team was made up of Mike Phelan, Kieran McKenna and the aforementioned Carrick. He inherited the latter two and brought Phelan back. McKenna is a manager is his own right, while it’s unclear whether Carrick would accept a support role again.

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Solskjær’s Coaching Staff an Obstacle

Mike Phelan assisted Solskjær last time. / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Ruben Amorim’s coaching team was sacked with him and will likely join the Portuguese in whatever job he takes next—managers tend to keep loyal staffers with them over many years.

But Solskjær doesn’t retain supporting coaches in the same way because a short spell at Beşiktaş has been his only managerial gig since leaving Old Trafford in 2021. In Türkiye, he reunited with Erling Moe, his assistant at Molde from eight years prior. Moe did not follow Solskjær to Manchester in 2018, but rather replaced him at the helm with the Norwegian side instead. As such, it isn’t obvious who he would want, or is available, to come and join him this time.

Fletcher is currently being supported by a makeshift team plucked from the junior age groups at United, with U21s coaching duo Travis Binnion and Alan Wright assisting, alongside Jonny Evans.

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