Zidane, Pochettino & the managers that could succeed Mourinho at Manchester United

With the Portuguese under pressure at Old Trafford following Monday's humiliating 3-0 loss at home to Tottenham, Goal looks at possible replacements.

Former England striker Chris Sutton was just one of many observers at Old Trafford on Monday night left wondering what the future holds for Jose Mourinho after his Manchester United side were routed 3-0 by Tottenham.

"It was an embarrassment to lose in the manner they did," the former Chelsea striker told BBC Radio 5 Live . "The final scoreline actually flattered United.

"Now, I just don't know where Manchester United go from here, where Jose Mourinho goes from here. Is it the end for Mourinho?"

If it is, who will United turn to next? Let's take a look at the potential candidates

ZINEDINE ZIDANE

The favourite, both with the bookies and United's disgruntled supporters, is Zinedine Zidane.

The Frenchman stood down as Real Madrid boss after leading the Spanish side to a third consecutive Champions League triumph with a 3-1 victory over Liverpool in May.

Despite his remarkable record in European competition, there are those that remain unconvinced by the former France international's coaching ability, with the argument being that he is tactically limited and also little more than a cup specialist.

However, such an attitude does Zidane a huge disservice, given he also won La Liga in 2016-17 and showed a willingness to experiment more and take greater risks with different formations during his final season at the Santiago Bernabeu, utilising the likes of Marcos Asensio and Lucas Vazquez to excellent effect, most notably against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes.

There is no denying, though, that the most impressive aspect of his Real reign was the way in which he successfully managed a group of superstars, maintaining harmony in a dressing-room of massive egos and also rotating Cristiano Ronaldo regularly and effectively.

One would imagine that one of the most revered figures in world football would have an even bigger impact upon on a United side that, despite Mourinho's protestations to the contrary, is seemingly lacking in unity and confidence.

MAURICIO POCHETTIN

"For every single manager who is younger than him, he was an inspiration," Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino admitted ahead of the trip to Manchester. "For everyone.

"Of course. I took a lot of things from him. So many things."

On Monday, it looked very much as if the student has now become the master.

But then, many have believed for some time now that United erred badly by picking Mourinho rather than Pochettino to succeed Louis van Gaal as coach in 2016.

By that stage, it was already abundantly obvious that the Argentine is one of the best young coaches in the game today.

The critics will point to the fact that Pochettino has yet to win a trophy of any note but it is worth remembering that he took over a club in disarray and now has Tottenham competing and starring in the Champions League.

ANTONIO CONTE

United turning to Antonio Conte would come as a surprise, for a variety of reasons, chief among them the manner of his departure as Chelsea boss earlier this summer. 

Given Mourinho's public sniping over the club's recruitment strategy, would the Red Devils really want to hire a man who has clashed with his two previous bosses at club level over transfers?

There's also the fact that Conte wants his next coaching role to be in his native Italy and it is believed that AC Milan will turn to the former Juventus coach should Gennaro Gattuso struggle in his first full season at San Siro.

Still, the 49-year-old would undoubtedly be drawn to such a high-profile position – and succeeding great rival Mourinho at the helm would undoubtedly make it all the sweeter.

MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI

On the face of it, Manchester United have little hope of landing Massimiliano Allegri, who is under contract at Juventus until 2020.

The Italian even turned down Real Madrid during the summer, explaining in June: "I am grateful to president Florentino Perez for taking me into consideration, but I have always liked Juventus' plans, which are renewed every year with the aim of always winning. 

"I will look to continue the improvements that we began four years ago, alongside [Beppe] Marotta, [Fabio] Paratici, [Pavel] Nedved and the president."

With Cristiano Ronaldo having since arrived in Turin, Allegri is now happier than ever before with his bosses, as he is now closer than ever to realising his dream of lifting the Champions League.

However, we know that Allegri would like to work in England and the feeling is that if he were to lead the Old Lady to glory in Madrid next June, he would view it as the ideal time to leave Turin in search of a new challenge.

LAURENT BLANC

When Jose Mourinho was last under pressure at Old Trafford, two years ago, Laurent Blanc emerged as a possible replacement. Indeed, it was even reported that the former United defender had turned down the chance to succeed Frank de Boer at Inter in order to remain in the reckoning for a return to Manchester.

Remarkably, Blanc has yet to resume his coaching career, admitting that he is holding out for a truly interesting challenge. United would certainly interest the Frenchman, who spent two seasons at the club before calling him on his playing days in 2003.

The sweeper's ability to read the game subsequently served him well when he started his coaching career at Bordeaux, whom he led to a Ligue 1 title in 2008-09.

Blanc claimed three further championships at Paris Saint-Germain before eventually being sacked in 2016 because of his perceived inability to triumph in continental competition.