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If reports are to be believed, there are now 12 names on the shortlist to become next Manchester United manager, even though Erik ten Hag has not even been sacked.
Here, we attempt to rank the 12 men in terms of likelihood that they will be the next permanent manager of the Old Trafford outfit, should the Dutchman be given his marching orders in the near future.
12. Gareth Southgate
The former England head coach is said to be a friend of Ineos man Sir Dave Brailsford and United’s director of football, Dan Ashworth. Nonetheless, the reliable David Ornstein has said he has not been considered for the role and Southgate himself more or less ruled himself out of the running this week, saying he wants a complete break from football.
Southgate’s dour style of football, relative lack of club management experience and unpopularity with the fans all stand against him and so we believe it is highly unlikely he will be the next manager of Manchester United.
11. Massimiliano Allegri
Allegri has two strong things going for him and two strong things against him. On the plus side, he has a proven track record at the top level of football. Six scudettos and two Champions League finals is an impressive haul. He is also immediately available.
Weighing most against the Italian is his style of play. Like Southgate, he is a defence-minded coach, playing a conservative controlled possession game. Another question mark is his age – 57 is not over the hill, but Ineos are believed to want a younger manager if possible. Having already taken two years out, there is a danger of a weariness about him and his fragile English might also be an issue.
These may be the reasons that Ineos did not seem to seriously consider him in the summer and the fact that they didn’t do so then, suggests they may have already ruled him out.
10. Simone Inzaghi
Some reports recently suggested that United had made contact with the Inter Milan head coach, much to the excitement of many fans. Inzaghi has been successful at Inter playing a positive and entertaining style of football that could work well at United.
Also a Champions League runner-up, he is something of a cup expert, having won the Coppa Italia three times, once with Lazio and twice with Inter. But it is last season’s Serie A triumph that impressed the most.
The reason Inzaghi is only number 10 in our predicted list is that he distanced himself from the recent rumours very quickly and pledged his future to Inter. He would also be an expensive appointment, with three years left on his deal in Milan. Given United’s PSR predicament, the cost of recruitment is a key factor in any decision they make.
9. Xabi Alonso
Alonso’s achievement at Bayer Leverkusen last season was astounding and made him just about the most coveted manager on the planet. His history as a Liverpool player could mean the United job would hold little appeal for him, but that is not necessarily a given.
A recent report stated that he would not leave Leverkusen in mid-season, but United might be willing to wait until the end of the campaign to get their man. This may or may not be true, but even if it is, there are so many things that could change between now and then that the odds must certainly weigh against this utopian future coming to pass.
8. Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel’s name has certainly been bandied about by the media and in many ways he remains the de facto shoo-in for the United job. He has a proven track record, notably winning the Champions League with Chelsea and league titles in both France (twice) and Germany. Widely regarded as one of the best managers in football, Tuchel is readily available, so there is little wonder he is considered a hot favourite for the position.
However, talks between the German and Ineos broke down when he was considered for the job in the summer. Reports say this was over the amount of control he would have over transfers and his salary demands. With nothing to suggest those issues have been or can be resolved, United’s reticence speaks volumes.
Another factor weighing against him, like Allegri and Southgate, is that his style of play is not necessarily compatible with United’s “DNA” of fast-flowing, attractive, attacking football.
This week Tuchel has been heavily linked with the England job. Whilst this could be a ploy by his people to pressurise Ineos into making a decision, it is more likely a genuine move away from the idea of managing United.
7. Michael Carrick
The former United midfielder was unbeaten in his three games as caretaker manager when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked and then went on to do an excellent job at Middlesbrough. His United pedigree would stand him in good stead and fans would welcome the appointment.
Reports have emerged this week that have tipped him to be considered by United. However, it seems unlikely that Ineos would offer such a young and relatively inexperienced manager the permanent job at this stage, and he is unlikely to resign from his job at the Riverside to take up an interim or trial-basis position.
6. Kieran McKenna
McKenna’s story is similar to that of Carrick, but his track record is even more impressive. One of England’s most exciting young managers, the former United coach has performed something of a miracle at Ipswich, guiding them from League 1 relegation zone to safety before achieving back-to-back promotions to the Premier League in the last two seasons on a shoestring budget.
All eyes will be on how he acquits himself in England’s top flight and for that reason, it might just be a little too soon to trust him with the United job. It did not help that his first two games in the Premier League were against Liverpool and Manchester City, which the Tractor Boys lost, and a poor performance then saw them knocked out of the Carabao Cup by AFC Wimbledon.
However, McKenna has steadied the ship since then, picking up four draws in a row before a defeat by West Ham.
Depending on how the rest of the season goes, if United were to keep Ten Hag on for much longer or appoint an interim until the end of the campaign, McKenna might find himself in a position to step into the Old Trafford hotseat further down the line.
5. Thomas Frank
What Frank has achieved at Brentford in establishing them as a regular mid-table Premier League side is nothing short of spectacular, but he is seldom given the credit or recognised as a top manager because he has not had the opportunity to show what he can do at a top club.
His name has frequently been reported to be on Ineos’ shortlist but the impression you get is that he is a backup choice. Again, had Ineos been convinced by him, they could have made a stronger move in the summer.
However, if Ten Hag is sacked in the near future and United are keen to make a permanent appointment straight away, Frank could find his name has risen to the top of the shortlist by default. He certainly could be considered a safe pair of hands and someone who has a strong record in the Premier League.
4. Graham Potter
It is surprising that Potter is still out of work after he was somewhat unfairly sacked as Chelsea manager after just 31 games in charge. His work at Swansea and Brighton was highly regarded before that and given the chaos at Chelsea with megalomaniac Todd Boehly running the club, not too much can be read into the poor outcome at Stamford Bridge.
The reason why we are ranking the 49 year old high on our list is his immediate availability. This raises the prospect of him coming in on an interim basis and being given a chance to prove his worth. That is an option that could suit both parties – it would ease Potter back into the game and would give Ineos breathing space without making a long-term commitment.
3. Ruud van Nistelrooy
Sitting pretty as the obvious interim manager and being a legend of the club, Van Nistelrooy might have a golden opportunity to make the United job his own. However, it seems very unlikely he would immediately be given the job on a permanent basis after just one managerial stint at PSV Eindhoven.
That stint brought an unlikely Dutch Cup victory but Van Nistelrooy left the club soon after on acrimonious terms amid rumours that he had alienated both the board and the players at the Philips Stadium.
There is also the issue that, despite earlier reports to the contrary, Van Nistelrooy is very much a Ten Hag appointment and Ineos may prefer to bring in someone completely removed from the current manager’s inner circle.
Overall, the chances of the 48 year old getting the interim manager role must be reasonably good, which in turn would give him a decent chance of getting the permanent role.
2. Edin Terzic
Terzic’s name as a candidate for the United job has arrived from left field this weekend, but it could be an appointment that makes a lot of sense for Ineos.
Going out from Borussia Dortmund on a high after guiding them to an unlikely Champions League final, the 41 year old is a relatively raw but exciting prospect on the managerial scene.
Like Van Nistelrooy, it is possible that Terzic could be appointed interim manager of the club and were he to agree to that role, a strong campaign could see him get the job permanently at the end of the season.
1. Ruben Amorim
With another amazing start to the season in Portugal, winning his first eight matches, Amorim has strengthened his reputation as being another of Europe’s top-rated young managers. Reports this week claim he is very much on United’s shortlist.
Amorim came close to the Liverpool and West Ham jobs in the summer and it may be that his flirtation with the Anfield outfit discouraged Ineos from pushing for him at United. However, now he is settled back at Sporting and doing so well again, an approach for him would surely be a no-brainer for United’s executives.
Talked up by Bruno Fernandes in the week, still only 39 years old, speaking impeccable English, playing an exciting style of football and on a salary in Lisbon that would be easy to buy out, Amorim seems to tick all the boxes. For those reasons, we have ranked him as the most likely man to replace Erik ten Hag as manager of Manchester United.
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