Carlo Ancelotti's verdict on Man United owners resurface amid manager links - Manchester Evening News

Carlo Ancelotti previously questioned the owners' priorities at Manchester United, with the Brazil boss now linked as a potential head coach target at Old Trafford

Carlo Ancelotti has previously criticised the Glazers for their management of Manchester United, leading to speculation that the esteemed manager could be a potential candidate to succeed Ruben Amorim in the summer. The Old Trafford hierarchy chose to part ways with Amorim following an outburst that appeared to question his position within the club.

Amorim was the first full-time appointment made by Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe as part of their joint ownership of United.

With no immediate successor for Amorim in sight, they have appointed Michael Carrick as interim head coach until the end of the season..

Consequently, the list of possible candidates for the summer is expanding, including international managers such as Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and Julian Nagelsmann who may be available, reports the Mirror.

There's also Ancelotti, currently managing the Brazil national team, whom former United assistant Rene Meulensteen believes should be considered by the club.

"Carlo Ancelotti is the guy with the type of pedigree who can handle it because he’s done it, he’s seen it and he knows what a winning culture looks like," Meulensteen said. "I don’t think Ancelotti would listen to anybody else. Ancelotti would say this is what I’m doing. I’m managing what I’m here to do.

“Football has changed. You’ve got Directors of Football now or Sporting Directors and Technical Directors who are there to safeguard the big picture of the whole football operation at a club and then you’ve got a Head Coach who should be working with the squad of players.

“As a coach, you need to be very clear on that. That’s why Ruben Amorim ran into trouble. They obviously weren’t aligned. He had different ideas about how it should be run than the people in the background.”

It remains uncertain whether Ancelotti would consider a switch to Old Trafford, or if the club's decision-makers are even considering the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss. Nevertheless, when it comes to alignment, questions may arise regarding the Glazers' involvement.

Whilst the partial sale saw Ineos and Ratcliffe acquire a minority share of the club, alongside control of footballing matters, the Glazer family retain majority ownership. This could potentially create tension, particularly given Ancelotti's candid remarks about the family back in 2016.

"I was fortunate to be able to coach Real Madrid, although then the club decided to change managers," Ancelotti said.

"That is part of the job, we are exposed to that. In the big clubs it is difficult to stay a long time because the expectations of results are so high.

"Madrid’s history and demands mean that if a coach doesn’t win trophies, a change is made. You have to respect that. It’s true that there are other clubs like Manchester United, where [Sir Alex] Ferguson was there many years, and now [Arsene] Wenger at Arsenal.

"These cases are different, as their owners are from the US and they are more interested in the financial aspect than in who is coach.”

Whether Ancelotti genuinely features on United's shortlist for a new head coach remains uncertain, but speculation will persist about the club's requirements moving forwards. The notion of 'Man United DNA' has become a recurring talking point in debates over the next managerial appointment.

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