The British "Daily Mail" wrote about Manchester United's managerial candidates, suggesting that Ancelotti, currently the manager of the Brazil national team, might be the most suitable choice to get the Red Devils back on track.
"Daily Mail" report:
Although Harry Maguire's statements may have been well-intentioned, after another disaster at Old Trafford on Sunday, those words sounded hollow and further amplified the feeling that Manchester United is trapped in an endless cycle of failure.
Maguire repeatedly used phrases like "look in the mirror," "take responsibility," and "wear this shirt," which Luke Shaw has also been echoing for years. Now these words have become meaningless platitudes, falling on deaf ears.
But Maguire's words also unexpectedly exposed a fact: although Carrick is a good person, he lacks the authority needed to manage Manchester United. The defender said after Manchester United's 0-3 loss to AFC Bournemouth: "Michael completely turned our season around last season."
In the era when Manchester United was a football powerhouse, the manager would never have been casually referred to as "Alex," nor "Matt" decades earlier. Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby would not have tolerated such disrespect.
Looking at potential successors like Howe and Nagelsmann, who might take on this hottest of potatoes, the outside world clearly doesn't realize that what's needed here is immense authority, confidence, and persuasiveness—not just another round of managerial changes year after year.
Manchester United needs a manager who can bring order to this "madhouse," re-establish standards where they are lacking, and create an environment where even someone like Bruno Fernandes wouldn't dare to harbor ill intentions. A more widely overlooked point is that Manchester United also needs a coach who can impress the players the club urgently needs to bring on board.
Under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, Manchester United has significantly cut player wages within a very tight budget, and the Manchester United name, having long been without titles in domestic and European competitions, no longer carries the same appeal it once did.
The next manager must be able to impress and persuade target players. With all due respect, neither Howe nor Nagelsmann are sufficient.
There's been a feeling in recent weeks that Ancelotti is the person Manchester United has always needed. He is a top winner, having won five Champions League titles and league titles in five countries, and has experienced enough ups and downs to be unshaken by the fluctuations that have broken countless Manchester United managers.
He doesn't seem flamboyant or overly emotional. Ancelotti isn't like Mourinho, who expresses anger in the technical area; some still believe the latter, whose Real Madrid team won the Clásico on Sunday, possesses what Manchester United needs. But the most unruly players certainly know who's boss when Ancelotti is around.
Ibrahimovic recounted the story of "Ancelotti's raised eyebrow," which happened during their time at Paris Saint-Germain on a bitterly cold night in Evian. According to Ibrahimovic, the pitch was poor and Paris Saint-Germain was not playing well.
"At halftime, you knew something was wrong just by seeing that one eyebrow raise. I sat down and thought, 'Now he's angry.'"
"There was a box in front of him, and somehow he kicked it, and it flew through the air and hit me on the head. I thought, 'My God, now he's really angry.'"
Ibrahimovic is very fond of Ancelotti. Sir David Beckham is too, and he also knows from their time together at Paris Saint-Germain that the Italian coach can sometimes have sudden outbursts. Beckham described that state as "a bit scary."
Ancelotti co-authored a book with his former sporting director at Chelsea, Mike Ford, discussing his coaching methods, titled "Quiet Leadership." In the preface, he referenced Vito Corleone and "The Godfather."
"When you look at Corleone, do you see a weak, quiet man?" he wrote. "Or a calm and powerful man in control?
"My philosophy is that a leader doesn't need to roar and shout, or rule with an iron fist, but rather let their authority emerge naturally. Who's in charge must be clear, and that authority should come from respect and trust, not fear."
At Chelsea, amidst chaos, he thrived. Owner Roman Abramovich once thought Ancelotti favored English players and demanded he be "tougher" in the dressing room; once, after Chelsea beat West Bromwich Albion 6-0, Abramovich even called him to his London apartment for a reprimand. But Ancelotti dismissed all of it.
When Abramovich asked Ancelotti to "establish a playing identity for the team," he deployed Michael Essien in a playmaking role, which worked brilliantly and led the team to a Premier League and FA Cup double in the 2009-10 season.
"He brought out the best in us and made us feel 10 feet tall," John Terry said of Ancelotti. "You know his training is excellent because he's managed the best teams in the world, but what really stands out in my memory are those subtle personal touches."
Of course, Ancelotti is now the Brazil coach, and it would be costly to pry him away from that position, but he still has unfinished business in the Premier League. He was frustrated when Abramovich sacked him after two years, and he once aspired to take over Liverpool, but that position went to Klopp.
Going back and forth between Howe and Nagelsmann—both of whom would be willing to accept Manchester United's invitation—or turning to the fiery Conte, who could cause chaos at the club, this situation is very much like Groundhog Day, returning Manchester United to the indecision of 2024. At that time, they had already interviewed the more experienced and clearly superior Tuchel, but still chose to retain Ten Hag.
Who is better suited, Ancelotti or Howe, to extract acceptable performances from a squad hastily assembled and structurally imbalanced? Given the limited funds available in January and the difficulty of significant squad improvement, the answer is fairly clear.
During Solskjaer's tenure since 2018, assistant coach Mike Phelan often stressed the word "standards" in the training ground corridors, and that is precisely what Manchester United most needs to re-establish now.
More realistically, Manchester United will next face Chelsea, Roma, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Sporting CP, and Brentford. To handle this string of opponents, personality and authority are essential.
