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Will Erik ten Hag still be Manchester United manager next season?
That’s the question new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is pondering following Monday’s chaotic 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.
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With Ten Hag set to survive at least until the FA Cup final and with elite-level managers thin on the pitch, who could Ratcliffe line up as a potential successor to the under-fire Dutchman?
Graham Potter
Potter has turned down numerous job offers over the past few weeks and months and is therefore clearly saving himself for something big.
The former Chelsea boss is one of the leading contenders to replace Ten Hag due to his relationship with new sporting director Dan Ashworth following their successful partnership at Brighton. Potter also has a key ally in Ratcliffe’s right-hand man and former Team GB cycling guru, Sir Dave Brailsford.
His appointment would be disappointing in the eyes of many United fans after an unhappy spell at Chelsea, but Potter would say that behind the scenes was too chaotic for a manager to succeed.
The big question is has he learned enough from this experience to command respect in a notoriously difficult locker room?
During his time at Brighton, also wanted by Ajax, Potter showed his ability to train and develop young players and implement a distinctive and progressive style of play. He would be wise to abandon the glow-up and become a football player again. responsible for the training ground.
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Gareth Southgate
Whether Southgate will continue with England after the Euros is still very much open to debate and may depend on his performance at this summer’s tournament.
He is another disciple of Ashworth and is part of a WhatsApp group with Brailsford along with several other top coaches like former England Rugby World Cup boss Eddie Jones, so there is content in reports linking it to INEOS.
As Ten Hag discovered only too well, there are few jobs in world football that receive as much attention as United, but the way Southgate has performed as England coach and his media relations proved he could handle this pressure, something Ratcliffe noticed.
He also has a good relationship with United’s English contingent and should therefore be well received by the players.
However, he has not taken charge of a club since being sacked by Middlesbrough in 2009, so there are fears he is no longer suitable for international management.
Meanwhile, his detractors would point out that he has failed to win anything despite so much generational talent at his disposal.
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Thomas Tuchel
talkSPORT understands there has been initial contact between Tuchel’s advisers and the United hierarchy to express interest in a move to Old Trafford and that he could yet leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season as winner of the Champions League.
The former Chelsea boss is desperate to return to the Premier League and believes he has unfinished business after his abrupt departure from Stamford Bridge following a fallout with Blues co-owner Behdad Eghbali. He has also made no secret that he would love to manage United.
However, Tuchel is not good at managing and his abrasiveness would work against him, as would his history of changing clubs every two years, as Ratcliffe looks to build himself for the long term.
One positive is that the German has the ego to believe he can turn United around and would not be afraid to put the dressing room in order. He is probably the standout candidate in the eyes of the majority of United fans and his claims would only be strengthened if Bayern were crowned European champions.
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Hansi Film
Another German who has expressed interest in succeeding Ten Hag is former national team manager Flick.
Flick was considered one of Europe’s best coaches after leading Bayern Munich to back-to-back Bundesliga titles, a league treble, the German Cup and Champions League as well as the World Cup clubs. the 2022 World Cup.
Nor did he cover himself in glory in the Amazon documentary All or Nothing exposing Germany’s failures in Qatar, leading to suggestions he buckled under pressure.
But during his time at Bayern, Flick was renowned for his distinctive high-pressing style of play, the absence of which was one of the main criticisms of Ten Hag, influenced by Pep Guardiola, and the fact that he was a serial winner should please. to Ratcliffe and the United fanbase.
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Roberto DeZerbi
If I were writing this a year ago, De Zerbi would probably have figured high in INEOS’s thoughts.
The Italian enjoyed a marvelous debut season in the Premier League, building on the foundations laid by Potter to lead Brighton into Europe for the first time ever, and his Seagulls side also produced a stunning attacking display to beat United at Old Trafford in August.
Brighton’s form in the second half of this season has been sketchy to say the least and De Zerbi is also believed to have sidestepped contention over a possible move to Liverpool by openly questioning the ambitions of the board of directors at Brighton at press conferences.
Regardless, talkSPORT understands the Italian is now considering staying at the Amex Stadium for at least one more season.
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Zinedine Zidane
‘Zizou’ has been unemployed for two years since leaving Real Madrid after his second term.
The French legend has been linked with a move to Old Trafford whenever a vacancy arises and would certainly bring the level of stardust that the Red Devils faithful were accustomed to and has the aura needed to motivate under-performing players. performers like Marcus Rashford.
By his own admission, Zidane’s command of the English language is not the best and even if the World Cup winner says he is ready to return to work, that would count against him.
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