Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is rumoured to be fighting to keep his job at Manchester United and one of the people linked with a move to the Old Trafford club as his replacement, Brendan Rodgers, has now removed himself from the running.
Solskjaer has overseen a particularly worrying run lately, with his side winning just one of their last six Premier League outings – the 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur last month.
Earlier this week, there were claims that Manchester United had internally decided that a managerial change is needed, with Rodgers seen as the ideal replacement for Solskjaer. Rodgers, the current Leicester City manager, has now distanced himself from the rumours.
“There’s two things, firstly it’s really disrespectful to ask the question when you have a good manager in place working at the club. Secondly, I can’t comment on it because it’s something that’s not real,” Rodgers is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News.
“I’m here as the Leicester City manager, proud to be here, fully committed to the players, club ownership. All the other noise is something we can’t control. In my career, my focus has always been on the next game. The only club I’m thinking of is Chelsea.
“It’s frustrating for supporters and my players. If they were to read anything, of course that can destabilise. From a personal perspective, it’s in the modern game. Lots of speculation and gossip, it’s part of the game but I’ve got no focus on whatsoever.”
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SN’s verdict on Rodgers’ comments…
Only a select few people will truly know what’s going on behind the scenes but Rodgers has unequiovcally shut down any speculation that he could be about to switch Leicester for United.
Of course, that is always to be expected – Rodgers isn’t the type to engage in cryptic messages in the midst of a widely covered news story.
Regardless, his comments won’t change what most perceive to be true. And that’s Manchester United’s opinion of it all – the 48-year-old is most likely the club’s first-choice target for when Solskjaer is inevitably relieved of his duties.