The malaise of Manchester United is often traced back to Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, although even the Scotsman can't escape blame for what has occurred since, following a questionable string of transfers in his final years.
Looking back to 2009, the Red Devils - firmly in the grips of Glazer ownership by that point - allowed Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez to depart. In came Gabriel Obertan, Antonio Valencia and an ageing Michael Owen.
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To his credit, Ferguson's magic propelled his depleted side to further glory over the next four years, but as Wayne Rooney has admitted since, the club have arguably never truly recovered from that point, with the 13-time title winner bequeathing an ageing and arguably over-achieving squad to compatriot David Moyes.
In the view of club legend Roy Keane, 'Fergie' is "hanging around like a bad smell" at Old Trafford, exerting a sustained influence that even saw current interim Darren Fletcher ask for his "blessing" upon replacing Ruben Amorim.
Indeed, there are at least two of Ferguson's former players contending with Fletcher for the caretaker role, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick primed for the vacancy.
Latest on Carrick & Solskjaer news at Man Utd
By all accounts, INEOS have whittled down the interim shortlist to the former United stars, dipping into the phonebook to reach out to two Ferguson disciples.
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According to latest reports, Solskjaer is undergoing talks at Old Trafford over making an emotional return to the club, over four years on from having been sacked following a 4-1 defeat away at Watford in November 2021.
The belief is that Carrick - who worked under the Norwegian prior to that dismissal - has already held his own discussions with Jason Wilcox and co, with the Englishman currently out of work after being sacked by Middlesbrough last year.
There is believed to be a scenario in which both men actually return to their posts, with Solskjaer leading the charge and Carrick again taking on an assistant role, having worked fruitfully together in the past.
This is a new regime to the one which hired and fired Solskjaer, but there will likely be hope he can repeat his 2018/19 interim heroics, which yielded 14 wins in just 19 games, including that night in Paris.
Solskjaer's interim spell
Stat
Days in charge
Games
Wins
Draws
Losses
Players used
Points per game
Average goals scored
Average goals conceded
via Transfermarkt
A selection of the Scandinavian's squad remain, but this is largely a different group to the one he left behind - could and should that work against?
Man Utd should hire dream Carrick and Solskjaer alternative
A relatively fresh voice, like Carrick or Solskjaer, could be what this struggling side needs, with the pair also already commanding the respect of two senior figures at United, in the form of Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes.
Some would argue that a completely clean slate would be best, with an outsider brought in instead, although if INEOS are to plump for an old favourite, there could well be a better choice to make, with Ruud van Nistelrooy also mooted for the role this week.
Indeed, while it is up for debate what Carrick or Solskjaer would do with this team, we already know what Van Nistelrooy could achieve, having enjoyed his own fruitful caretaker stint back in 2024.
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The legendary Dutchman stepped up from a backroom role under Erik ten Hag to take charge after his compatriot's exit, winning three of his four games in charge, while securing a creditable draw at home to Chelsea.
The caveat is that two of those games came against the relegation-threatened side that Van Nistelrooy would go on to manage, Leicester City, although his impact was immediate, overseeing a 5-2 thrashing of the Foxes on his first outing in the dugout.
The likes of Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo have been added since, although the ex-PSV boss proved what he could do with this group in a back four formation, with the aforementioned Fernandes a key beneficiary.
The Portuguese playmaker hadn't actually scored under Ten Hag at the start of that season, although quick kickstarted what would prove a stellar individual campaign on that night against Leicester, scoring twice.
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In all, the United skipper scored four times and provided two assists in Van Nistelrooy's brief tenure, unleashing him in his preferred attacking midfield role.
Of course, both Carrick and Solskjaer would likely do the same, but with the Dutchman also reviving other members of the current squad - namely Casemiro - he should well be the preferred pick.
A "very ambitious and very driven" coach - as hailed by Ten Hag - who looked the part in that four-game run - United are said to regret letting him go when Amorim arrived, according to Andy Mitten.
Why not bring him back in the hot seat?
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