Manchester United's Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo reacts to their defeat as he leaves after the English Premier League football match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on April 9, 2022. - Everton won the game 1-0. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Anthony Devlin / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by ANTHONY DEVLIN/AFP via Getty Images)
In an attempt to keep star attacker Cristiano Ronaldo happy, Manchester United reportedly used the press to link former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane to the vacant manager’s job at Old Trafford.
That’s according to a recent report from Manchester Evening News, who claims the Red Devils deliberately leaked ‘baseless’ reports that Zidane could succeed former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in order to prevent Ronaldo from becoming unsettled.
Obviously, as fans know now, following Solskjaer’s dismissal, interim boss Ralf Rangnick was installed until the end of the season and it now looks like Ajax’s Erik ten Hag will be handed the job on a permanent basis.
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However, prior to Rangnick taking over, there was major uncertainty over whether or not the 20-time league winners would look to immediately appoint a first-team manager.
Aside from Zidane, several other names were linked, including PSG’s Mauricio Pochettino. However, with both candidates never really appearing close to the job, these latest reports that the club deliberately dropped some names to the press for their own benefit certainly seems plausible.
