Top seven favourites for Manchester United job after Erik ten Hag sacking
The Dutch manager has been sacked by the Red Devils
Manchester United have sacked their head coach Erik ten Hag after a series of poor results, despite getting every player he wanted in the transfer window. The Red Devils are currently in the 14th position in the points table and will be managed by Ruud van Nistelrooy for a temporary time.
Now, while the 48-year-old caretaker manager tries to cope with the million-dollar valued squad, the United think-tank needs to appoint the best possible replacement for the departing ten Hag, who led the club to two domestic trophies (FA Cup last season, and the Carabao Cup in 2023), besides managing the side in 85 Premier League games, with a win percentage of only 52, to date since his joining in April 2022.
On that note, let’s have a look at the best seven potential replacements for Erik ten Hag, while Ruud van Nistelrooy manages the side.
7. Edin Terzic
Current club: Free agent
The 41-year-old is currently without a club, after parting ways with German biggies Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer. Terzic has an interesting stat of 1.93 points in his last stint and likes to play with an attacking approach with a 4-3-3 approach.
Terzic has prior experience of coaching in the EPL too, when he assisted Lucien Favre from 2015 to 2017 in West Ham. Securing a young Terzic could be a bold call, but seeing his approach in the past stints, he could be in the thoughts.
6. Ruben Amorim
Current club: Sporting CP
The Sporting CP manager might not have experience in managing big teams, but his long spell with the current Portuguese side is praiseworthy. His 3-4-3 approach has yielded results, and the 39-year-old has hence already managed Sporting CP in 227 games.
He may not be a big name among the many options for Manchester United, but if appointed, his tactics can be a game-changer in EPL. After all, even ten Hag was signed from Ajax.
5. Sebastian Hoeneß
Current club: VfB Stuttgart
The German coach is currently at the helm of Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart. He has the same preferred formation as Erik ten Hag of 4-2-3-1. Hoeneb has been a manager of senior teams since 2020, managing two teams in the Bundesliga as of now.
With his current club, he has earned 1.95 points per game and is contracted till June 30, 2027. He would be a good choice if Manchester United is willing to not change the formation of the team much, in which they recently spent big.
4. Julian Nagelsmann
Current side: Germany national football team
The Germany head coach has already proved his quality in the first season as Bayern Munich head coach, when he won the Bundesliga, reached the UEFA Champions League quarters and DFL-Supercups.
Managing the pressure of big sides, and handling top players, he has been efficient in both. He also plays with a 4-2-3-1 formation mostly. These qualities already make him a top candidate to manage Man United. But, making him agree to leave Germany’s national men’s team for the Red Devils is a huge task.
3. Thomas Frank
Current club: Brentford
The 51-year-old Danish head coach is performing well at the helm of Brentford FC and has impressed in the Premier League. To everyone’s surprise, he has won four, and drawn one of the nine games in the Premier League 2024-25. He did lose to Manchester United earlier this season, but he didn’t leave without a fight. He also displayed brilliance while playing against Manchester City and Liverpool FC.
Thomas Frank prefers to set up his team with a five-back counter-attacking approach, and he can bear fruits if given a big-money team like Manchester United. Signing Frank will be a bold call, affecting both United and the good-going Brentford FC, who he has already managed for 285 games.
2. Gareth Southgate
Current club: Free agent
The 54-year-old has been England’s national team manager for a long long time. From 2016 to 2024, he managed the nation’s football team in 102 games, averaging 2.08 points per game. He played with a defensive approach, and was criticized by many, but delivered results.
Gareth Southgate has reached the Euro finals, World Cup quarters, and semis on multiple occasions, but was unlucky to not win. He should be an ideal candidate, having known the current English players for a long time. He getting selected might be a boon for the Red Devils, as he knows to win. He has even managed an EPL side, Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009.
1. Xavi
Current club: Free agent
The FC Barcelona legend replacing Erik ten Hag has been the talk of the town. Speculations were boosted with his wife’s Instagram story showing their kid wearing a Manchester United jersey.
Xavi has been young in the field of coaching but has shown pure class. The 44-year-old took over a struggling FC Barcelona side, which was in a more drastic state than the United team, and went on to win the La Liga next season, without even spending much on player transfers. He would have still stayed the head coach of Barcelona if not for his comments.
He would be an ideal replacement to pull the Red Devils out of trouble, just like he has done with FC Barcelona. Also, he likes to work with youngsters, which would be a big boost for players like Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, and Rasmus Hojlund.
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