Ten Coaches Who Could Replace Erik Ten Hag At Manchester United Are Ranked

After Erik ten Hag led Manchester United to a top-four finish in his first season at Old Trafford, all while lifting the League Cup and making it to the FA Cup final, it was expected the Greater Manchester outfit would kick on and establish themselves as a genuine title contender in 2023/24. But that has not proven to be the case....CONTINUE READING

Splashing close to £200 million during the summer transfer window, the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana were added to United’s ranks ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

However, United have slipped further behind the teams vying for the Premier League title and, after a good run of form, produced arguably their worst performance of the season in a 2-1 home defeat to Fulham.

Because of that, manager Ten Hag finds himself under growing pressure, and speculation continues to grow about whether he could be sacked in the summer.

But then the question becomes who might replace the Dutch manager. Well, in an attempt to answer that question, GIVEMESPORT have put together a list of 10 managers who could take over from the former Ajax chief should new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe make that call.

While putting together a shortlist of 10 managers, several factors came into play when ranking them as potential successors to Ten Hag. Among the metrics were:

While not all the managers on this list tick every box, there are some who fulfill more of the criteria than others. So, without further ado, let’s get into the rankings.

There have been several rumours linking Graham Potter to the hotseat at Old Trafford, so it is unsurprising that he is the favourite to potentially replace Erik ten Hag.

Although things didn’t work out for him at Stamford Bridge, his brilliant work with Brighton still makes him a hot commodity, and with several changes being put in place behind the scenes, Ratcliffe may believe that with the right support and structure, Potter may find more success.

Someone who is capable of building a long-term project and someone who played exciting football while at Brighton, it was reported all the way back in December that Potter was one of the preferred choices by INEOS to succeed the Dutchman if the decision was made to let him go. It remains to be seen if the Englishman will be given another shot at the big time, however.

Another man who fell foul of Boehly’s regime at Chelsea was Thomas Tuchel. Despite having led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021, it was clear that the American owner didn’t view the German as his long-term option. He was eventually relieved of his duties in 2022 before moving back to his homeland to take charge of Bayern Munich.

A disastrous run of form has seen the Bavarians in disarray and on the verge of losing their Bundesliga crown in over a decade. As a result, it’s been announced the two parties will part ways at the end of the campaign.

Nevertheless, Tuchel is a winner, someone who could lead United back to glory. He’s ready to take over in the summer as well, and with Tuchel reportedly eager for a Premier League return, he could be one to keep an eye on.

Roberto De Zerbi is the next up-and-coming manager on the continental scene, with the current Brighton & Hove Albion boss being monitored by a number of top-level Premier League sides. Taking Brighton to the Europa League during his first season in charge of the Seagulls, his stock continues to rise with each passing week.

It seems only a matter of time before De Zerbi rocks up at a Champions League club and if United aren’t careful, the opportunity to bag one of Europe’s most promising managers could pass them by.

Described by Pep Guardiola as one of the most ‘influential’ managers of the last 20 years, it’s clear De Zerbi has plenty of admirers and is being tipped for a successful career in management.

Reports in December 2023 suggested that United could take a chance on De Zerbi if they sacked Ten Hag. But with Dean Jones telling GIVEMESPORT that the Italian is a contender to take over from Guardiola at City himself, United may have to act fast or else watch their noisy neighbours get to him first.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season leaves the Reds looking for a successor.

Touted by many as the next Jose Mourinho, Ruben Amorim is finding suitors across the world, with one of them potentially being the higher-ups at INEOS. Having spent much of his playing days at Benfica, he now finds himself at the helm of one of their competitors in Sporting CP.

Since his arrival, the 38-year-old has restored some glory to the Lisbon outfit, playing an exciting brand of football managing to secure one league title, a Portuguese Super Cup and two Portuguese League Cups to go along with the one he secured during his time at Braga. A move to United would undoubtedly be a step-up, but one he would be confident in making.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Zinedine Zidane has already managed United, such is the constant reference to him whenever the chat about a new Red Devils boss comes around. So far that hasn’t been the case, but the Frenchman is certainly on the club’s radar.

A winner of three consecutive Champions League titles during his time as Los Blancos boss, Zidane certainly has the calibre to go into the United dressing room and command respect from their underperforming talents.

Interestingly enough, Zidane has spoken about taking charge of United in the past, suggesting his poor English skills could prevent him from being appointed manager. That being said, the one-time midfielder did hint he wouldn’t rule anything out, claiming he would ‘never say never’ to the United job.

Everything about this seems not only unlikely, but unfathomable. Yet, it’s still possible. Why? Because anything to do with Jose Mourinho is impossible. Despite the dramatic ending to his reign, the Portuguese is still United’s most successful boss post Sir Alex Ferguson.

Although his track record indicates he’s never around for the long-term, something which contrasts the view of Ratcliffe and INEOS, Mourinho could charm his way back into the job for one more go under a more organised backroom. In fact, this is something he is reportedly looking to do. He won a league title in his second spell at Chelsea. Could he do so again?

It’s easy to forget Carrick has also managed the club before, albeit for three games on an interim basis. However, he did remain undefeated, with him averaging the highest points-per-game out of any United boss post-Ferguson. Since then, the Englishman has been impressing many with his work at Middlesbrough, even guiding them to a Carabao Cup semi-final.

Is he ready for this jump? Probably not quite. However, his history at Old Trafford and the fact that he fits the right mould may mean that INEOS could show faith in him by handing him the keys to the castle and allowing him to grow in management as the club looks to steer itself back in the right direction.

The man heavily linked with taking over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpoolis another auspicious young manager making a name for himself. Xabi Alonso has taken Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen from a relegation candidate when he arrived 12 months ago and turned them into one of the best-performing sides in Europe.

A stellar midfielder during his time as a player, Alonso’s side plays with the same tenacity you’d expect from the classy Spaniard. Under his tutelage, Leverkusen reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last season and have raced to the top of the Bundesliga this time around.

While breaking Bayern Munich’s monopoly on the Bundesliga would represent a remarkable achievement during his first full season in management, Alonso has shown the credentials needed to suggest he’s one of the continent’s best next-gen managers.

The likelihood of this happening, however, is low, with the Liverpool connection as well as strong links to replace Tuchel at Bayern Munich seemingly indicating where Alonso’s future lies.

One manager linked with the Liverpool job excels above all others statistically.

A man who seems to be perennially linked with the Manchester United manager’s job, Antonio Conte remains a viable option to takeover from Ten Hag, having been out of work since leaving Tottenham Hotspur last season.

While it may have ended in unceremonious circumstances at Hotspur Way, Conte has a track record which speaks for itself in elite-level management.

A winner of six league titles during his 18-year stint as a manager, the Italian coach knows what it takes to galvanize a group of languishing players. Of course, Conte has come close to taking charge at Old Trafford in the past, most recently following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021.

Conte was a free agent at the time of Solskjaer’s sacking, but the Red Devils hierarchy opted against appointing him, opting for Ralf Rangnick as interim boss until the end of the season instead.

Some things in football feel destined to happen eventually, with Conte managing United feeling like one of them, but question marks might be raised over his long-term suitability.

When your two jobs in football management have been with Bayern Munich and the German national team, you create a very unique profile. And if Hansi Flick was coming off the back of his Champions League win the Munich in 2020, we would say he could be among the frontrunners to replace ten Hag at Old Trafford.

However, his torrid time as manager of his home country has certainly tarnished his reputation to a certain degree, having been removed from his post in 2023. With no experience in English football, INEOS would need to weigh up the pros and cons of bringing in Flick.

However, should he replicate the success he managed at Bayern, it would be seen as an ingenious move and one that would no doubt get supporters even more on side with their new owner…CONTINUE READING>>