10 managers who could replace Erik ten Hag at Man United ranked
Erik ten Hag is under huge pressure at Man United and the club’s new regime led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe could make a managerial change in the summer.
The Red Devils have struggled under Ten Hag this season with his side appearing to lack a clear style of play and consistent results.
Football Insider has learned from sources that the Dutchman is fighting for his job and United are assessing a potential change of manager as their overhaul under Ratcliffe intensifies.
United suffered a quick exit in their Champions League group and they may struggle to qualify for Europe next season with an eight-point gap to the top four spots in the Premier League.
British billionaire Ratcliffe has assumed sporting control at Old Trafford following his £1.3billion minority investment deal and Ten Hag may be the next in the INEOS firing line if he fails to impress.
Here are 10 managers who could replace Ten Hag as Man United manager:
10. Michael Carrick (Middlesbrough)
United could look to bring in a familiar face to replace Ten Hag and Carrick has shone since taking charge at Middlesbrough in 2022.
While the 42-year-old does lack managerial experience, he spent 12 years at Old Trafford as a player and enjoyed a three-game stint as caretaker boss in 2021 when Ralf Rangnick was sacked.
At Middlesbrough, Carrick led the team to a play-off semi-final in his first season in charge and also reached the League Cup semi-final in 2023-24.
Managerial statistics: Managed (74) | Wins (39) | Draws (11) | Losses (27) – Overall win rate (50.6%)
9. Unai Emery (Aston Villa)
An experienced, trophy-winning coach who has taken the Premier League by storm at Aston Villa.
Despite a troubled stint at Arsenal, Emery has enjoyed success at Sevilla, PSG, Villarreal and now Villa.
United fans may have sour memories of losing to Emery’s Villarreal side in the 2021 Europa League and they now have to look up the table to find his Villa side in fourth in the Premier League.
Managerial statistics: Managed (991) | Wins (532) | Draws (214) | Losses (245) – Overall win rate (53.7%)
8. Jose Mourinho
Could the ‘Special One’ make a return to Old Trafford?
Mourinho took charge of the Red Devils between 2016 and 2018 and has enjoyed more success than any other United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement by winning both the League Cup and Europa League.
The Portuguese manager was recently sacked by Roma and has flirted with a return to Old Trafford by suggesting he has “unfinished business” with the club.
He has won eight league titles as a manager in four different countries and was the first manager to win the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
Managerial statistics: Managed (1,133) | Wins (701) | Draws (236) | Losses (196) – Overall win rate (61.9%)
7. Gareth Southgate (England)
The current England manager looks likely to step down from his international role after the 2024 European Championships.
He led the Three Lions to a World Cup semi-final and a Euros final during his time in charge, but a return to club management could be on the agenda for the 53-year-old.
With reports that Ratcliffe wants to instill a British core at the centre of his United rebuild, Southgate could be an option to consider.
Managerial statistics: Managed (279) | Wins (129) | Draws (68) | Losses (82) – Overall win rate (46.2%)
6. Ruben Amorim (Sporting Lisbon)
The Sporting Lisbon manager is one of the most sought-after young coaches in world football right now and has been linked with moves to both Liverpool and Chelsea.
The 39-year-old has been making headlines in Portugal after winning three consecutive Taca Da Liga titles and leading Sporting to their first league title in 19 years.
Managerial statistics: Managed (220) | Wins (154) | Draws (33) | Losses (33) – Overall win rate (70%)
5. Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton)
The Brighton and Hove Albion boss has emerged as a managerial star in the Premier League since succeeding Graham Potter at the Amex Stadium in 2022.
The 44-year-old is known for his high-octane and entertaining football and his first season at Brighton saw the Seagulls finish sixth and qualify for the Europa League.
Despite suffering several injuries in the 2023-24 campaign, De Zerbi’s Brighton side have progressed into the knockout stages of Europe and trail just five points behind Man United in the Premier League.
Managerial statistics: Managed (379) | Wins (157) | Draws (96) | Losses (126) – Overall win rate (41.4%)
4. Zinedine Zidane
The Real Madrid and France legend has been inactive since stepping down at the Bernabeu Stadium in 2021, but the Old Trafford hot seat could tempt him to return.
Zidane enjoyed two stints as Madrid manager and wrote his name in the record books by becoming the first manager to win three consecutive Champions League trophies between 2016 and 2018.
The 51-year-old also won two La Liga titles, two Supercopas, two Uefa Super Cups and two Fifa Club World Cups before resigning.
Managerial statistics: Managed (320) | Wins (200) | Draws (70) | Losses (50) – Overall win rate (62.5%)
3. Graham Potter
After being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, Potter has been biding his time waiting for a new managerial project.
The 48-year-old was viewed as one of the most promising managers in English football during his time at Brighton and he is reportedly admired by Ratcliffe.
Managerial statistics: Managed (466) | Wins (202) | Draws (125) | Losses (139) – Overall win rate (43.4%)
2. Thomas Tuchel (Bayern Munich)
A Premier League return looks likely for Tuchel after he announced that he will be leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the current season.
The ex-Chelsea boss won the Champions League during his 19 months at Stamford Bridge, beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the final.
He joined Bayern Munich and won the 2023 Bundesliga title but looks likely to fall short of a second league triumph with Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen side favourites to end Bayern’s dominance.
Tuchel has had plenty of experience in charge of European giants having previously managed Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain before his stints at Chelsea and Bayern.
Managerial statistics: Managed (597) | Wins (343) | Draws (119) | Losses (135) – Overall win rate (57.5%)
1. Julian Nagelsmann (Germany)
United came close to appointing Nagelsmann in 2022 with many sources believing he was their first-choice target ahead of Ten Hag.
However, the 36-year-old was one year into his project at Bayern Munich at the time after joining the German giants from rivals RB Leipzig in 2021.
Nagelsmann recently signed a contract to become manager of Germany’s national team, but his deal only runs until July 2024, making him available for next season.
An experienced yet young manager, Nagelsmann has a clear style of play and could form the start of a long-term project at Old Trafford.
Managerial statistics: Managed (319) | Wins (170) | Draws (80) | Losses (69) – Overall win rate (53.3%)
In other news, Kieran Maguire wants Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s latest Man United request to be rejected
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