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Manchester United fans had hoped that the start of the INEOS era at Old Trafford would mark a departure from the chaotic and muddled decision-making that has plagued the club for years under the Glazers.
Things seemed to be off to a perfect start with quick, efficient announcements that Omar Berrada would become CEO and Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc would join the board.
Jason Wilcox has also been added as technical director and Dan Ashworth has been identified as a key target for sporting director.
However, Ashworth’s protracted legal battle with Newcastle has certainly dampened the much-vaunted appointment, and the ongoing managerial confusion is worryingly similar to what used to happen in the halls of power at Old Trafford.
At the beginning of May, Erik ten Haag’s fate seemed to be sealed. Loss after loss, United were dropping like a rock in the Premier League and looked set to be humiliated in the FA Cup final. However, three wins on the bounce to the end of the season, including arguably the team’s best ever performance under the Dutchman to win the FA Cup, meant the decision was a little more difficult.
Two-and-a-half weeks on from that glorious afternoon in London and no one is sure what will happen in the Old Trafford dugout. However, as The Athletic reports, “the mood music could hardly be more ominous for Ten Hag as the club’s end-of-season review moves into week three and the state of confusion grows.”
Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino were seen as favorites in the media, but yesterday big news broke that the German is out of the running.
Tuchel was believed to have thought he was “nailed” to get the job, but it is clear that a meeting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe last Tuesday did not go as both parties had hoped.
Additionally, when Pochettino was sacked by Chelsea, many assumed United would make a move for the Argentinian as he narrowly missed out on the job to the eventual winner of the Ten Hague in 2022.
An eventual marriage between the former Spurs and United manager always seemed inevitable at some point, but that idea was torpedoed once again by news last night that he was unlikely to take the Old Trafford job. While he is by no means ruled out, this is certainly not a positive update for the former Southampton manager.
The Telegraph’s Jason Burt did not elaborate on why that is unlikely, and such is the strength of support Pochettino clearly enjoys in the United boardroom, it would be remiss at this stage to completely rule out the Argentine.
There is still one big figure that looms large at the moment and is not welcome in most quarters. It has been widely reported that INEOS are evaluating Gareth Southgate and that he is Dan Ashworth’s top choice to replace Ten Hag.
Furthermore, it is claimed that United are even willing to delay a final decision on a manager until Southgate’s Euro 2024 commitments with England come to an end.
The Peoples Person has already had his say on Southgate’s potential appointment, but if names continue to fall out of the running as they have, it could become too uncomfortable a reality for fans.
“In almost eight years in charge of England, he has excelled at the type of ‘green’ management that Ratcliffe and Brailsford practise,” writes The Athletic.
Although it has to be said that “doubts remain as to whether he is an elite-level manager with the steely determination that would be required, week in and week out, to drag United back to the top of English or European football.”
“On top of all that, there are the obvious complications of trying to appoint an England manager, especially with Euro 2024 starting. A move for Southgate doesn’t look like a starter, but not for any lack of respect for him.”
Roberto De Zerbi could still be an option as the Italian left Brighton and Hove Albion in a surprise swoop at the end of the season. It has been reported that De Zerbi’s “dream” is to manage United and has become a “shock candidate” for the job as INEOS casts its net high and wide.
The Italian is a fiery character and is a stark contrast to Southgate’s calmer demeanor. The style of football is also completely different, and De Zerbi attaches great importance to possession and attack.
In fact, Athletic state that he is “again a great coach, but one overlooked by Liverpool (along with Tuchel) partly because they feared he was too flammable to work in their structure. The acrimony and discord that precipitated his departure from Brighton & Hove Albion suggested he too would be ill-suited to the new regime at United. And yet he is one of the names being considered.”
Another option United could still explore is that of Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim. He was tipped for the job about a month ago after not getting the job in Liverpool.
The Portuguese has built a winning machine in the country and his style of play which allows for a progressive build-up is widely praised.
However, the 39-year-old has never been tested at anything like Manchester United and would have to learn a lot on the job in a way that Tuchel or Pochettino would not.
Brentford’s Thomas Frank is also someone who could be considered and has reportedly met with Manchester United, but again he lacks anything like the top-flight experience of the other candidates, and managing and succeeding at Brentford is a completely different kettle of fish.
Graham Potter’s name was also mentioned a lot a few months ago, but the rumors have died down recently. But intriguingly, he still hasn’t taken the job despite serious interest from a club like Ajax.
Ratcliffe is said to be a fan of Potter and could be seen in the same mold as Southgate, someone who can calmly do his job while working within the overall structure.
Finally, there is a possibility that Erik ten Hag could stay, but the way the club have publicly left him out to dry by conducting job interviews while he is on holiday and crucially, still in work, he doesn’t seem to have much of a future at the club.
Whatever INEOS plans, they need to act now as United have no time to waste in improving the transfer market. A new coach or Ten Hag needs to be in place to start working on putting right what went so horribly wrong and to ensure it doesn’t happen again in the upcoming campaign.
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