Highlights
- Erik ten Hag’s tough season at Man United has left the club marooned in 8th place and facing slim European prospects.
- Despite Ten Hag’s insistence on being the right man, new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe may seek change this summer.
- Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi have been heavily linked, but there is a new top target at Old Trafford, according to recent reports.
Manchester United are ready to part ways with Erik ten Hag this summer, and have already found their no.1 target ahead of the new season, according to a fresh report.
Ten Hag fighting a losing battle
Marooned in eighth, conceding record numbers of goals and having slim prospects of European football next season. You’d be forgiven for assuming that this sentence was about West Ham, Newcastle or Tottenham, but it is Premier League giants Manchester United that find themselves in this predicament, with a coach in Ten Hag who appears to blame everyone but himself.
It could have been worse too, with Manchester United’s near-18 shots faced per game the fourth highest in the division and the club outperforming both its expected goals and expected goals against. Were they both to form, United would be 15th rather than 8th.
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Ten Hag’s dreadful season |
|
|
Losses |
13 |
|
Goals conceded per game |
1.57 |
|
Goal difference |
-3 |
|
Shots faced per game |
17.7 |
There are undoubtedly mitigating circumstances surrounding the performances, but the general trend is not a good one at Old Trafford, and it seems increasingly likely that new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will look for change this summer, despite Ten Hag insisting he is the right man for the job.
Time is running out for the Dutchman though, and change seems inevitable. Now, it appears United have identified their top target to replace Ten Hag.
Southgate you’re the one
That comes in the form of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate. The England coach is widely expected to leave his post following the 2024 European Championships, having taken England to the past three tournaments and having reached a semi-final and a final.
Now, it has been reported by Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna that the Red Devils have made Southgate their “top target” as they hunt for a new coach this summer.
Though it is added that nothing is agreed yet, he reveals that the situation is “expected to develop soon” and that ideally Sir Jim Ratcliffe and United would like to do a deal quickly so they can complete the announcement after the European Championships, which end in the middle of July.
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Despite having been out of club management for several years, it is added that the Manchester United bosses are “convinced Southgate is the right coach for the overhaul”, something that is likely to go down well with some of the players.
He already has the support of one of the Manchester United camp in the form of Harry Maguire, with the defender dubbing him a “brilliant” coach over the most recent international break.
“Listen, being the England manager is so tough, it’s one of the most scrutinised jobs in the world. Every time he picks a squad there is a massive debate – he’s done something wrong every time. But all you can look at is where we were before he took over and where we are now.
“Everyone will say, ‘Yeah, but we’ve got great talent coming through, better players now’. But in previous years we have also had great talent and we haven’t been successful.
“So, I think he does deserve a lot of credit. He has taken us a long way and he fully gets the respect from all the players. If you speak to anyone they will speak highly of Gareth and his management tactically, but also his man-management as well. He’s brilliant.”
With the links around Southgate refusing to go away, could he be the man to rescue United from their awful spot?
