Massimiliano Allegri has issued a cryptic response to reports that he’s set to take over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United manager.
The Red Devils have won just two of their opening eight games in the Premier League and Allegri has emerged as a serious frontrunner for the hot seat at the club, with calls for Solskjaer’s sack growing ever louder.
Allegri has been out of a job since stepping down at Juventus in the summer and, while he had planned to have a 12-month sabbatical, he’s reportedly held ‘concrete’ discussions with the Red devils and is ‘very close’ to becoming head coach.
The Italian has made no secret of his ambitions to work in the Premier League and has been learning English for some time with the hope that such an opportunity presented itself.
Polish outlet Przegląd Sportowy managed to chat with Max Allegri at AEFCA’s 2019 Symposium in Warsaw and asked him about the recent links to Old Trafford.
However, Allegri refused to rule out the job and joked: ‘I speak English too poorly for now, but I am learning.’
Though United’s talks with Allegri are understood to have advanced speedily over the last fortnight, the club are sticking by Solskjaer for now.
However, United take on Liverpool this weekend and a comprehensive defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals at Old Trafford will heap yet more pressure on Solskjaer and might lead to his exit from the club.
According to Paul Ince, United are yet to show any form of improvement under Ole Solskjaer and could finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table this campaign.
‘We know Ole is going to get criticised and will come under pressure because he’s not getting results, but also because we’re not getting any signs that it’s going to improve,’ the ex-United midfielder told talkSPORT.
‘Obviously with young players it’s going to take time, but Chelsea have got young players and they’re doing alright. Liverpool have got two young full-backs they’re doing okay.
‘They could finish in the bottom half of the table. When I’m seeing Ole after the games saying, “we’re working hard, we’re working hard”, I keep thinking we just want to see what they’re actually working on.
‘When I see the team I don’t see what they’re doing. I don’t see their patterns of play and I don’t see how they’re working from an attacking point of view, because they’re not creating chances – they’re not even having any shots.
‘I just don’t know what they’re actually doing at Manchester United.’
