Sports Corner

Top 5 managers who can replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United as club announce his sacking

TVL
TVL


Manchester United owners have run out of patience and called time on Erik ten Hag’s reign at Old Trafford. The Red Devils’ fourth defeat in nine league games was a disappointing but controversial 2-1 defeat to West Ham United.

Ten Hag’s sacking seemed inevitable despite a one-year contract extension handed to him in the summer. The defeat to the Hammers left them 14th in the Premier League, and they have not won in Europe for a year.

Manchester United co-owners INEOS will now look for a replacement to guide the team into a new era. Several names have already been linked to the job, including title-winning coaches in European football. They may also opt look from within.

Here, we look at the most likely candidates to succeed Ten Hag.

Top 5 managers who could replace Ten Hag at Manchester United

Xavi

Xavi has often spoke of his admiration of English football (Image - Getty)Xavi has often spoke of his admiration of English football (Image - Getty)
Xavi has often spoke of his admiration of English football (Image – Getty)

First on the list is Xavi, who has emerged as a leading contender on Manchester United’s shortlist. Reports claim CEO Omar Berrada has held talks with the former Barcelona manager about the job.

Xavi left Barca in the summer after clashing with the higher-ups at Camp Nou. The Spaniard encountered a topsy-turvy tenure with his beloved Blaugrana, overseeing 91 wins in 143 games.

The 44-year-old brought the La Liga title back to Catalonia in 2023 for the first time since 2019. He plays an attractive, attacking brand of football influenced by his former coach, Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.

Julian Nagelsmann

Julian Nagelsmann has yet to coach outside Germany (Image - Getty)Julian Nagelsmann has yet to coach outside Germany (Image - Getty)
Julian Nagelsmann has yet to coach outside Germany (Image – Getty)

Manchester United have long been linked with Julian Nagelsmann, including during his RB Leipzig days. The German remains one of football’s most highly-regarded young tacticians but could be difficult to appoint.

Nagelsmann is in charge of the Germany national team and has overseen a transformation of the Euro 2024 hosts. They made it to the semifinals of that competition and bounced back from a nightmare Hansi Flick reign.

Reports claim United have placed Nagelsmann on their shortlist to replace Ten Hag. This is despite the 37-year-old having over a year left on his contract. He’s overseen 10 wins in 17 games.

Simone Inzaghi

Simone Inzaghi guided Inter to the Serie A title last season (Image - Getty)Simone Inzaghi guided Inter to the Serie A title last season (Image - Getty)
Simone Inzaghi guided Inter to the Serie A title last season (Image – Getty)

Simone Inzaghi is an intriguing option but a likely outside candidate to succeed Ten Hag at Manchester United. The Italian reportedly doesn’t speak English, but his success in retransforming Inter Milan into Serie A’s top dogs has put Europe on notice.

The 48-year-old arrived at Inter in July 2021 and has overseen 111 wins in 170 games. One of his most attractive coaching traits is his emphasis on defending. The one-time Serie A-title-winning coach plays three-at-the-back, which would allow Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Lisandro Martinez to do so at Old Trafford.

InterLive.it reports that Inzaghi has already agreed to become United manager in 2025. If true, this means an immediate successor won’t be in the offing and Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim reign will run until next summer.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy was Erik ten Hag's assistant (Image - Getty)Ruud van Nistelrooy was Erik ten Hag's assistant (Image - Getty)
Ruud van Nistelrooy was Erik ten Hag’s assistant (Image – Getty)

Speaking of Van Nistelrooy, Manchester United’s iconic former striker is stepping up into the interim role. In the summer, the Dutchman returned to Old Trafford, part of INEOS’ shake-up of Ten Hag’s coaching staff.

Van Nistelrooy reportedly turned down Burnley to take up the assistant role. He’s been a hit with players, visibly displaying passion while talking to the likes of Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee.

The 48-year-old is now Manchester United’s caretaker manager but could impress in the role, leading to a permanent job offer. That was the case for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Van Nistelrooy also has a KNVB Cup-winning reign at PSV Eindhoven under his belt.

Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank is one of English football's most renowned coaches (Image - Getty)Thomas Frank is one of English football's most renowned coaches (Image - Getty)
Thomas Frank is one of English football’s most renowned coaches (Image – Getty)

Few Premier League managers are doing a more impressive job than Brentford’s Thomas Frank. The Dane has taken the Bees from EFL Championship mid-table obscurity to Premier League mid-table consistency.

Frank’s resume proves he’s one of English football’s most reliable coaches, with 42 wins in 143 Premier League games. This includes famous wins against United (4-0), City (2-1), and Chelsea (4-1).

The 51-year-old has been the most public of all five options about his future. He’s not refuted suggestions he could leave Brentford and reportedly held talks with INEOS in the summer, per the Daily Mail. He has just under three years on his deal with the west Londoners.