Gary Lineker risks upsetting Erik ten Hag again as he names his ‘possible’ replacement at Manchester United

Gary Lineker had a spiky interview with the current Man Utd boss (Pictures: Getty)

Gary Lineker has risked upsetting Erik ten Hag again after naming his ‘possible’ replacement at Manchester United.

Match of the Day host Lineker and England legend Alan Shearer grilled Ten Hag on BBC after United’s shock FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

Much of the build-up to Saturday’s final was dominated by speculation Ten Hag would be sacked regardless of the result at Wembley.

Lineker and Shearer quizzed Ten Hag on his future at Old Trafford after United lifted their 13th FA Cup trophy and the Dutchman hit out at the media for their ‘unfair’ treatment of his side this season.

Ex-England striker Lineker defended the interview but has now risked upsetting Ten Hag again by tipping Mauricio Pochettino for the Manchester United job.

Pochettino has been linked with a move to Old Trafford since his surprise departure from Chelsea last week and Lineker admits he could see the Argentine taking over from Ten Hag.

‘There were a few rumours about Pochettino and he said a few things that made you think all was not well at Chelsea,’ Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast. ‘But I just couldn’t believe it [his sacking].

‘It doesn’t make any sense. In terms of Pochettino, the way they finished the season, his position as a coach, I don’t think that’s gone down at all in people’s minds, I think he’ll be fine and will get a good job.

‘I’m tempted to say possibly Manchester United but we don’t want to upset Erik or the United fans again!’

Pochettino spent just one season at Stamford Bridge and Shearer believes the former Tottenham and PSG boss is ‘better off out of there’.

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Chelsea underwhelmed for most of the 2023-24 campaign but won their final five games to climb to sixth and qualify for Europe.

‘He’s better off out of there,’ Shearer said of Pochettino’s Chelsea departure. ‘That is the very, very best he could have done when you look at where they finished.

‘He got them to a final and a semi-final and back into Europe. I honestly don’t think he could have done any better than he did. It’s just a mad football club.

Mauricio Pochettino left Chelsea last week (Picture: Getty)

‘There must have been a fall-out but whoever goes in there can never complain about what goes on because you take that job knowing it’s a bit of a mad football club.

‘He’s better off out, isn’t he? He’s a good man and a good coach, he will get a really good job somewhere.’

Manchester United won the FA Cup at the end of a dismal campaign, with Ten Hag’s side recording their lowest-ever Premier League finish.

On speculation the 54-year-old will still be sacked despite lifting denying Manchester City the FA Cup and a domestic double, Shearer added: ‘If United were going to keep Ten Hag on, I am sure they would have come out and said that at some stage before the FA Cup final.

Alan Shearer also grilled Ten Hag after the FA Cup final (Picture: Getty)

‘Instead, the silence has been deafening, and I think that is pretty telling. At the same time, I do understand why Ten Hag’s future is in doubt because of how bad large parts of this season have been.

‘Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and it is not acceptable for them to finish eighth, or go out of the Champions League in the group stage the way they did.

‘This performance gives their fans something to celebrate, at least, but we don’t know what is going to happen next with United, and whether this is the start of something bigger or just the end for Ten Hag. If it is the latter, then what a way to sign off.’

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