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| Gareth Southgate, Head Coach of England, embraces Jude Bellingham after the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Denmark and England at Frankfurt Arena on June 20, 2024 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. |
Manchester United are sticking with Erik ten Hag for now but let’s not pretend that the chatter won’t start as soon as he loses games.
Here are the current favourites for the job, based on the latest odds from Oddschecker.
1) Gareth Southgate
Remains in top spot after his England resignation after yet another glorious failure. We’re really not sure United fans would tolerate this, but my word would the press boys be thrilled.
Any indication this might really be a goer will have the think-pieces flowing about just how much Southgate deserves such a chance after nearly winning some things with England. For maximum banter, he would need to make his first move as United manager the signing of Jordan Henderson.
Say what you like about Southgate, but United probably don’t have to worry about another big club snapping him up before they get a chance.
2) Mauricio Pochettino
Chelsea have chosen the path of abject stupidity and it would be no great surprise to see United pounce on a manager they have long coveted. Was starting to show a definite ability to bring order to Chelsea’s inherent chaos and would certainly get the chance to attempt something similar at United. Also, while United remain a very silly football club, we’re pretty sure they wouldn’t bin him for wanting a say on transfers.
Would be hard to begrudge Pochettino the one Premier League job outside Spurs that has always really looked like it appealed to him, especially after what does appear from the outside to be some pretty shabby treatment from Chelsea.
3) Kieran McKenna
His agent played a blinder as reported interest from Manchester United led to a four-year contract at Ipswich that makes him one of the best-paid managers in the Premier League. The extra one-year contract given to Ten Hag plays into McKenna’s hands as he might have had a brilliant top-flight start by the time Manchester United are looking again.
4) Thomas Tuchel
His departure from Bayern Munich will put him firmly in the running for many of the big jobs available this summer but his lack of warmth – and the fact that he has managed four clubs in a decade – could work against him as the Red Devils look for a long-term manager who can bring the oomph back to United.
Has to take his own hefty share of the blame for Bayern’s potless season, even if finishing third in a one-horse race is mainly down to the Harry Kane Curse. but still represents a manager of elite calibre who is definitely available. Until the sudden and unexpected availability of Poch, there really wasn’t much better out there, but June reports suggested he has talked himself out of the job after outlining plans as outlandish as “fixing problems” and “getting the best out of Jadon Sancho”.
5) Roberto De Zerbi
Now at Marseille but will remain high on any list of possible managers for any big Premier League club because he ‘knows the league’. He also knows how to drop five places in a year, which is the kind of experience that could be vital for Manchester United.
6) Ruud van Nistelrooy
Now back in situ at Manchester United and surely in the right place for a caretaker manager stint when Ten Hag is sacked.
7) Thomas Frank
Might have made slightly more sense if Brentford hadn’t spent much of last season flailing about on the fringes of the relegation battle. Though he does already know how to bring out the worst in Man United, which appears to be a prerequisite for the job.
8) Graham Potter
Arf! Just imagine if United did sack Ten Hag and they replaced him with the man who crashed and burned so spectacularly at Chelsea. Potter has plenty of mitigation – it is hard to imagine anyone succeeding at Stamford Bridge, but the ex-Brighton manager surely needs to re-establish his credentials for the top jobs elsewhere before being considered by the biggest clubs again.
And just ponder the reaction among the egos in the United dressing room. Some of these lads refused to listen to Ralf Rangnick having had to Google the German when he was appointed. The prospect of this squad tuning in to Potter seems… remote.
But it’s an appointment that would certainly chime with Dan Ashworth.
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