Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford. The Red Devils' top director of football target, Dan Ashworth, doesn't view him as a "long-term" solution for the club, and new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe agrees with that assessment.
Ten Hag is expected to be safe until the end of the season, but there's no guarantee that he's still in the dugout come the start of the 2024/25 campaign. Ashworth and Ratcliffe have viewed some of the team's performances, and their early exit from the Champions League, as "unacceptable".
Man Utd must regret sealing Ten Hag signing who's cost £10m in 6 months
The midfielder has struggled this season at Man United.
ByTom LeverFeb 27, 2024
There were some signs that the Dutchman was beginning to turn things around as his side rattled off five straight victories in all competitions, but then their momentum was brought to a crashing halt on Saturday as they lost 2-1 at home to Fulham in the Premier League.
Nagelsmann in pole position for Man Utd job
Now, according to reports in Spain, Ratcliffe has decided that he wants to "revitalise" the team with the appointment of a new manager. Julian Nagelsmann, whose Germany contract expires after this summer's European Championships, is the 'leading candidate' for the job.
The German is in pole position and has reportedly been interested in taking the job since last summer. He now sees an opportunity to "make the jump" ahead of Ten Hag's likely departure. Thomas Tuchel, who's due to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, is also keen on the role, but Nagelsmann is very much the main candidate.
Bayern may have made a mistake in sacking Nagelsmann
Described as an "outstanding tactical mind" by sports journalist Jonny Bentley, Nagelsmann built a hugely impressive CV after taking over as the Hoffenheim manager in 2016 while he was still in his 20's.
After steering them to Bundesliga survival in his first few months in charge, he oversaw a spectacular ascent to fourth place in 2016/17, and third a year after as they reached the Champions League group stages for the first time in their history.
It was only a matter of time before he took the next step up the football ladder, and it was RB Leipzig who snapped him up in 2019. He took Die Roten Bullen to third in his first season, but more impressively still, they reached the semifinals of the Champions League, where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain. He narrowly missed out on his first silverware the following year, finishing runner-up in both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal.
Rank
Manager
Club
1
Hansi Flick
Bayern Munich
2
Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool
3
Julian Nagelsmann
RB Leipzig
4
Thomas Tuchel
Paris Saint-Germain
5
Gian Piero Gasperini
Atalanta
6
Julen Lopetegui
Sevilla
7
Rudi Garcia
Lyon
8
Zinedine Zidane
Real Madrid
9
Pep Guardiola
Manchester City
10
Antonio Conte
Inter
Then came his shot at the highest level with Bayern, which proved to be a mixed bag. While he won the Bundesliga in 2021/22, his side also crashed out of Europe at the hands of Villarreal in the quarterfinals. In 2022/23, Bayern were at risk of missing out to Borussia Dortmund in the title race, and the club's bosses decided to abruptly pull the plug in March.
Looking back, it appears a harsh decision, especially with the Bavarians still competing for a treble after reaching the last eight in the Champions League and DFB-Pokal. Indeed, though Tuchel was able to snatch the title from Dortmund, he's allowed Bayer Leverkusen to establish a huge lead this term, and he'll be following Nagelsmann out the door in the summer.
The United target may feel that he's grown from his disappointment at the Allianz Arena, and will surely be desperate to rebuild his reputation, starting at the Euros before a likely return to the domestic game.