Erik ten Hag is fighting for his future at Manchester United (Picture: Getty)
Michael Owen says Manchester United’s new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘won’t be scared of making big decisions’ and expects the club to move on from Erik ten Hag in the summer.
The Red Devils have endured an immensely disappointing campaign and find themselves languishing down in sixth in the Premier League, 13 points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa with four games remaining.
It comes after United were dumped out of the Champions League at the group stage – their worst ever showing – and Ten Hag has conceded that his side’s chances of qualifying for Europe’s premier competition next season look bleak.
It appears Ten Hag’s future could hinge on United’s upcoming FA Cup final clash with holders Manchester City, though some reports indicate that the writing is already on the wall for the Dutchman, regardless of the result at Wembley on May 25.
The likes of Thomas Tuchel, Zinedine Zidane, Gareth Southgate and Roberto De Zerbi have all been tentatively linked as possible replacements for Ten Hag at Old Trafford in recent weeks.
Tuchel is now the bookmakers’ favourite to take charge should Ten Hag lose his job and reports emanating out of Germany suggested United had held talks with the 50-year-old, who departs Bayern Munich this summer.
Former United and England striker Owen is not convinced Ten Hag is the answer at the Theatre of Dreams and believes a new manager will be in charge come the start of next season.
Owen expects United to replace Ten Hag at the end of the season (Picture: Getty)
‘I’d be replacing him. Erik Ten Hag has been there a while now and I’ve not seen loads of improvement,’ Owen told EPL Index.
‘I don’t buy what he’s saying a lot of the time, either.
‘Ratcliffe is a top businessman and he won’t be scared of making big decisions and he could have a big one to make in the summer.
‘I think he will be looking for a new manager at the end of the season.’
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United legend Peter Schmeichel, a treble winner with the club in 1999, has been reluctant to discuss Ten Hag’s possible dismissal but feels Tuchel has the ‘pedigree’ and ‘authority’ to take over the reins this summer.
‘If Manchester United were in the market for a manager then he should be somebody mentioned in that respect. He should be,’ Schmeichel told beIN SPORTS when asked about Tuchel.
‘He has that kind of pedigree, he’s got the authority, he’s proven he can win which I think is really important.
‘He doesn’t come with a set system, “This is how our football is being played”… yeah, of course, he’s a big-club manager, isn’t he?’
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