Following a series of disappointing performances and mounting pressure, Manchester United have parted ways with Erik Ten Hag as manager.
Ten Hag’s tenure, initially full of promise, began to unravel as the team struggled with consistency, tactical issues, and morale.
Despite securing a few key victories, the results fell short of expectations, leaving United far from the title contention the club and its fans had hoped for.
Below are 5 coaches likely to replace Ten Hag at Man United:
1. Ruud van Nistelrooy – Man United interim manager
Manchester United have had 3 interim managers, and only Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was allowed to become the club boss. Now, the fourth interim, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, has been appointed as interim after the elimination of Ten Hag.
The former Manchester United and Dutch legendary player who played from 2001 to 2006, scoring 150 goals in 219 matches before joining Real Madrid laid aside his managerial aspirations to return to England as an assistant coach.
During his time at the club, he got one premier league title, one FA cup, and one League cup and he retired from international football in 2021 and became the Head Coach of PSV Eindhoven in 2023 and won the 2022/23 KNVB cup before resigning with one match remaining in the 2022/23 Eredivisie season, claiming he lacks support at boardroom level.
2. Xavi Hernandez – Former Barcelona manager
The 2010 World Cup winner Xavi Hernandez has indicated strong interest in being a Premier League manager in the past
“I would be thrilled to work there.
“Everyone tells me that the Premier League is wonderful, a great league to work in. First of all, for the passion with how they live the game. How they treat and respect you, the atmosphere, and the stadiums.
“So why not? I could see myself in England, definitely, it’s one of the things I’d like to experience in my career,” he once told The Times.
There have been reports that Xavi has held talks about a move to Old Trafford, and he has a close relationship with United chief executive Omar Berrada from their time at the Nou Camp.
3. Ruben Amorim – Sporting manager
Former Portugal international midfielder and Sporting manager Amorim has emerged as one of the top contenders to become the new Old Trafford boss.
The highly regarded 39-year-old coach has been in charge of Sporting since March 2020, overseeing 237 games and winning 170.
His club currently tops the table winning all nine games so far this season, conceding twice, and has won the Primera Liga title twice
4. Gareth Southgate – Former England manager
The 54-year-old ex-England boss Gareth, who left the England job just two days after their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, is known to be highly regarded by United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group and sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Although he stated earlier this month that he is currently enjoying his life and not ready to take up any managerial role any time soon.
“Firstly I’m enjoying my life… so there’s no rush,” he said. “I was 11 years committing myself fully to the FA and I’ve got lots of different experiences.
“But I won’t coach in the next year, for sure. I’m certain of that.
“I need to give myself time to make good decisions. When you come out of a really big role you need to give your body time, you need to give your mind time.”
5. Thomas Frank – Brentford manager
Brentford manager Thomas Frank is also one of the possible replacements for Ten Hag due to the high admiration he gets from the United board.
Frank has been an impressive manager at Brentford since their promotion in 2021 and has been linked to Chelsea during the summer when the club parted ways with Pochettino.
