Who Could Replace Ten Hag as Man United Manager if He Doesn’t Reach CL This Season and Gets Sacked?
Manchester United are having a terrible season, and the manager Erik ten Hag is feeling the heat. With the final loss in the Champions League group stage back in December, Manchester United equalized their worst CL performance like they had in season 2005/6.
They also conceded 15 goals in their six games, which is the record this season for any English club in a Champions League group stage. Their defense has been a football tragedy, and the attack has been falling asleep because of their low scoring sheets. Currently, they are sixth in the Premier League, with a neutral goal difference, and six points from the top four.
With Jim Ratcliffe set to become a major shareholder of the club and expected to be confirmed this week by the FA, after a year of talks, the pressure will only increase on Ten Hag. Ratcliffe wants United to be not only top at English level, but also European and World level. We feel that Ratcliffe is already looking for replacements, so we’ve picked our top and most probable replacements for the Dutchman.
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane has been jobless since 2021 when he left Real Madrid. We think that he is clearly biding his time and waiting for the right opportunity. There were some rumors that linked him with the France national team after the 2022 World Cup, but their current coach Deschamps extended his contract with their FA and stayed at that position.
We think that Zidane would be a top coach for United, as he would be for any big club that needs a manager. After all he has titles not only in Spain, but in the Champions League as well. The thing is there are some doubts whether he would come to United at all, after his answer on the Premier League. He was asked by journalists about a possible job offer at United and Zidane told them that he understands English, but does not speak it well. He thinks that speaking the main language fluently at the club is important when coaching. So this does not send UTD fans a good signal.
Graham Potter
Well, Graham Potter’s spell at Chelsea was disastrous, and most fans don’t like him. On the other hand, many pundits and experts still think that the former Brighton & Hove Albion manager is pretty superb and he could do some magic at United. We’ve read countless rumors that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is a fan of Potter and would like him at the club. Hopefully, this does not come into fruition, because it would be another season lost at the club.
Roberto De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi is a rising star in England and considered one of the best coaches in the League. The Brighton boss has shown his tactical creativity especially when it comes to transition, and we’ve read his name in lots of news stories that that style would really suit Manchester United. His current record does show a lot of success – he managed to qualify a smaller team for the Europa League, and even had some fight left for the top 4 places in the Premier League.
Michael Carrick
Many pundits are putting Michael Carrick as a possible replacement for Ten hag. The former United midfielder Carrick, currently is coaching a Championship club Middlesbrough, as his first permanent managerial role. They are 12th in the second tier just three points behind the playoff places in a tight top half.
We all know that Carrick’s 1st intern job as United manager was okay, especially after the disaster before he took over. However, his lack of experience in the premier league is still his weak spot. And not to mention, he is currently not producing great results in the second league. We hope that Sir Ratclife won’t consider him as a replacement for Ten Hag.
Hansi Flick
The former German national-team boss only lasted two years with the national team before their failures at the 2022 World Cup ended his career there prematurely. However, he already has big club experience, being the manager of Bayern Munich first as an assistant under Niko Kovac and then following two years as head coach, winning the big treble in 2019/20. He was also named as the UEFA Coach of the Year.
But, let’s be honest – Flick does not have any experience outside Germany. That is clearly his weak spot. After all, Germany is a lower quality league compared to the Premier League, and the troubles he had with the national team doesn’t do him good.
Antonio Conte
The former eccentric Tottenham manager Conte hasn’t been having top spot on sites that have Sports betting with Ethereum, and his odds are always dropping. However, there could be some logic in hiring the Italian to take over at Old Trafford. Conte has been jobless, since he parted ways with Tottenham, and like Zidane he is waiting for the right time and place to make his move.
While the type of character Conte has is sometimes positive, taking over the Manchester United mess could easily be another 3 years loss for the club. Of course, the Board at Manchester could use his skills to fix the current situation, hoping for an immediate boost, but there is still uncertainty.
Julen Lopetegui
Many consider Lopetegui experience and character as a good fit for United. Lopetegui has managed the Spanish national team and has been part of Real Madrid. He has also experience in the Premier League with Wolves and producing good results. His downsides are that he often leaves the clubs without any reasons and has not been consistent.
We hope that our list of potential successors of Ten Hag will give you some glimpse of what to expect this summer. Hopefully, this time, under the leadership of Sir Ratcliffe, United will have more direction.