After more than three years as Manchester United manager, Erik Ten Hag has finally been fired. Given how miserable the club has been during Ten Hag’s tenure, it is surprising that he has managed the club for so long. As he settled into the club and imposed his policies and got the players he wanted in his first year, he was forgiven.
Last season, however, was an embarrassment for such a well-known club. Even though it was expected that he would be sacked at the end of last season, United stepped up and won the FA Cup final, beating Manchester City for once. Ten Hag gained some goodwill from this trophy, and it hid any cracks that were present.
At the time of writing, Manchester United are 14th in the Premier League table, with a goal difference of -3. The new season has also begun in a similar manner. With no wins in the Europa League and 21st between Viktoria Plzen and Elfsborg, United has fired Erik ten Hag.
The former Ajax manager spent over £600million while at Manchester United, but his side showed no sign of improvement. Most of his 21 players signed have been players he has explicitly wanted and largely have been players he has worked with before. This includes the £85m flop signing of winger Antony from Ajax.
Only Chelsea’s much-ridiculed transfer strategy has seen them spend more in this period and even the Blues have seemingly leapfrogged them on the field. Perhaps the worst thing here is that Ten Hag has been at the job for over two years, and his side still doesn’t seem to have a particular structure or style of play. Unai Emery, for example, took over Aston Villa at a similar time and has them currently at the top of the Champions League standings. Even managers who joined big clubs this summer, like Hansi Flick at Barcelona or Arne Slot at Liverpool, have been more successful in imposing a structure and a style of football.
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Let us now look at 5 managers who can replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
#5. Gareth Southgate (Without Club)
While many United fans will heavily dislike the mention of this, Gareth Southgate is a name that has been touted for the job. Gareth Southgate does have obvious tactical fallacies, he was the England manager that made the team compete for the big titles after decades, while instilling a positive culture into the side and making the fans believe in the team once again.
This sounds exactly like something or someone that Manchester United need at the moment.
#4. Edin Terzic (Without Club)
Another manager on United’s list is promising and young but it remains to be seen how they handle the pressure of being at Manchester United. Edin Terzic took Borussia Dortmund to the final of the Champions League last season. He is a stickler for his rules and tends to coach a defence very well, something which United desperately need.
However, his style of play and attacking leave a lot to be desired. That being said though, at United, he would have access to better players in attacking positions. Another risky move.
#3. Ruben Amorim (Sporting CP)
Sporting Club manager Ruben Amorim is believed to be on United’s wishlist too. The young manager has turned down Premier League clubs in the past and rumours across Portuguese and English media have suggested that he is being groomed to take over at Manchester City once Pep Guardiola leaves.
If United can beat them to the punch, it will be very interesting. Amorim is someone who likes to stick to his principles. He has brought Sporting back to the top of the Portuguese game, while playing some really good football and getting the best out of talents, including Manuel Ugarte who is presently at Manchester United. An interesting option, one to keep an eye on.
#2. Thomas Frank (Brentford)
Many United fans might consider this to be an unfashionable choice but this is one that United have been following. Thomas Frank has done a thoroughly fantastic job in bringing Brentford up and establishing them as a Premier League side and he does not often get the plaudits that he deserves. Not only is Frank a great man manager, but he has given Brentford a solid structure with and without the ball and tends to get the best out of the resources he has.
Keeping in mind that in the time they have been in the Premier League, Brentford have been among the lowest spenders. Yet ask any big side and they will tell you that the Bees are one of the most difficult sides to face. While it’s difficult to predict whether Frank can win the big trophies at United, he will bring some much-needed order into the side and that is why he should be the favourite for the job.
#1. Xavi (Without Club)
It has been reported that recently a four-man delegation, led by Omar Berrada, flew to Barcelona and spoke to Xavi. The legendary midfielder was in charge of Barcelona till this summer and had won the league with them. This is a move that has both positives and negatives plenty. Looking at the positives first, Xavi walked into a Barcelona team that was in its worst period of late and won the league a year later. He is a huge backer of academy talent and gave debuts to as many as 15 La Masia graduates, including Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Fermin Lopez.
United too are believed to have a very good academy generation on the way. On the negative side, Xavi is still pretty new to management and his naivety shows at times. One of the big reasons why Xavi resigned from the Barcelona job was the pressure and toxicity of the media, which he will encounter again at United. This feels like a risky choice, for both parties.