Ten Hag under mounting pressure following last night’s defeat at Crystal Palace (Picture: Gett)
While Manchester United have a FA Cup final to prepare for, Erik ten Hag finds himself under growing pressure following another huge defeat on Monday night.
Crystal Palace eased to a 4-0 victory at Selhurst Park, making light work of a broken and beleaguered United side who are rapidly sliding down the table with three games of their league season left to play.
The stats make for grim reading. United have now conceded 81 goals, their highest total since 1977.
They have now lost 13 Premier League games, their worst record since the competition began. The 64-point haul from David Moyes’ woeful campaign in 2013-14 is even now out of reach with the current side marooned on 54 points – closer to the bottom three than title-battling Arsenal and Manchester City.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS set to review his position at the end of the season, ten Hag will undoubtedly face an uphill battle to convince the club that he is the man to front the club’s latest rebuild.
Should the Old Trafford hierarchy seek to look elsewhere in the summer, here are five candidates who could replace Ten Hag…
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate’s contract runs out in December (Picture: Getty)
Current England boss Gareth Southgate may have his full focus on the upcoming Euros, but his performances so far as the national team boss have caught the eye of those now running operations at Old Trafford.
Southgate guided England to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 as well as their first major final since 1966 with a runner-up finish at Euro 2020.
His England contract is currently set to expire in December, although the 53-year-old has ruled out any talks over his future until after this summer’s tournament.
While his last managerial job at club level ended 15 years ago, Southgate’s man-management skills as well as his experience working with a host of key United players within the national team set-up may make the Englishman the ideal candidate to take over the reigns this summer.
Graham Potter
Graham Potter has been out of management for a year (Picture: Getty)
Graham Potter has been patiently waiting on the sidelines and plotting his next move since his sacking by Chelsea in April last year.
The Englishman, who enjoyed a successful spell prior at Brighton, struggled in his first high-profile job at Stamford Bridge, although the subsequent struggles of Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino may suggest he was not solely to blame.
While Ten Hag has failed to establish a consistent style of play, Potter’s success on the south coast was predicated on his 48-year-old’s ability to quickly establish a laudable tactical philosophy.
Should he be given the Old Trafford job, he would find himself working alongside newly-appointed Jason Wilcox and soon-to-be-appointed Dan Ashworth, an experienced set-up that may free him up to focus solely on coaching and bring in some much-needed tactical discipline.
Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel is leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season (Picture: Getty)
A Champions League winner with Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel will find himself back on the job hunt this summer after it was announced he would leave Bayern Munich following a disappointing Bundesliga campaign.
Tuchel has previously suggested he felt more ‘appreciated’ working in the Premier League and reports from Germany suggest contact has been made by INEOS ahead of a potential summer appointment.
His previous fallouts with sporting directors at PSG and Chelsea may make some understandably wary but the German’s wealth of experience and proven track record in England could make it a risk worth taking.
While Bayern fans have petitioned from him to remain in charge, all signs suggest he and the German side will part ways this summer.
Roberto De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi has attracted plenty of interest (Picture: Getty)
Building on the good work of the aforementioned Potter, Roberto De Zerbi has continued Brighton’s steady progress, guiding them into Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
The Italian, who caught the eye at Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk, is expected to be in the frame for a number of top jobs around Europe given his attractive style of play and attention to detail.
While it would cost around £12million in compensation to bring in the 44-year-old, it could be a price worth paying for a man whose managerial stock is only likely to rise in the coming years.
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane won three Champions League trophies with Real Madrid (Picture: PA)
The Frenchman has been out of management since 2021 but his enviable track record still makes him a man in demand.
Zinedine Zidane won three consecutive Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles during his two spells with Real Madrid and has previously suggested he would relish a chance to manage in the Premier League.
Reports linking him with a move to Bayern Munich have since cooled and United may well represent one of the few attractive propositions available to Zidane should he eye up a return this summer.
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