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Brentford manager Thomas Frank has emerged as a strong contender to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, a report by talkSPORT has revealed.
Alex Crook and Robert Calcutt (talkSPORT) contend the Danish coach is on a “three-man shortlist” of “potential candidates” should Old Trafford officials make the decision to axe Ten Hag following the club’s disappointing start to the season.
The report reveals Frank is joined by Thomas Tuchel and Gareth Southgate on the list with each manager having “admirers” amongst United’s executive branch.
United have endured their worst start to a Premier League season in history, accumulating just eight points from their opening seven matches. They sit 14th in the table with a dismal goal difference of minus three. Only newly-promoted Southampton have scored fewer goals than Ten Hag’s side in his third season at Old Trafford.
The previous worst opener to a Premier League campaign in the club’s history? Ten Hag’s second season in charge at United.
There is widespread frustration amongst the United fanbase over the abject lack of demonstratable progress on the pitch, after a promising summer off it.
INEOS, who gained full control over the football operation at Old Trafford in February, conducted a comprehensive ‘end-of-season’ review following the 2023/24 campaign. It was designed, in part, to assess Ten Hag’s culpability in the dreadful season, outside of the triumph in the FA Cup final.
A number of prospective managers were considered as United appeared to come very close to deciding to replace the Dutchman. However, INEOS eventually reached the decision to stick with Ten Hag, awarding the 54-year-old a one-year contract extension and firmly throwing their weight behind him over the summer.
One of the names who came under consideration by United in this period was, however, Brentford’s Frank.
The Dane has impressed since arriving in the Premier League with Brentford in 2021, often demonstrating an ability to punch far beyond their respective weight through clever tactics and a focus on exploiting underappreciated areas within traditional footballing circles.
The Bees are run in an astute manner, seeking to maximise value wherever possible; and, in Frank, they have found the ideal manager to translate this approach on the pitch.
The 50-year-old’s appreciation for a system which focuses on ‘marginal gains’ is likely to be well-received in an Old Trafford board containing INEOS Sport Director, Sir Dave Brailsford – a pivotal figure at United with a philosophy predicated on the same principle.
However, there is always a risk when a manager at a ‘smaller’ club makes the jump to a ‘big’ one; or, in the case of the Red Devils, a footballing behemoth which quickly swallows those unsuited to treacherous waters.
Frank has no experience at the level he would be immediately thrust into at Old Trafford. He also has not overseen campaigns in Europe, where the balance between domestic and continental obligations is a delicate one, requiring experience to navigate correctly.
Similarly, the United dressing room is an unforgiving one where, at least previously, the squad has not always responded well to managers without the credentials to match the role. While this is more of a reflection on the players than anything to do with Frank, it is an important consideration for INEOS should they decide to move on from Ten Hag.
Undoubtedly, appointing Frank would be a huge risk for United, at a time when it feels as if the club cannot endure another managerial failure.
In the summer, it was decided that Frank was not the ideal candidate to replace Ten Hag and United stuck with the Dutchman. The fact that Ten Hag is once again struggling does not mean it was an incorrect assessment of Frank; United’s executives should stick to their initial assessment of the Danish coach.
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