Following a nightmare start, Erik ten Hag is under pressure to turn Manchester United’s fortunes around. Who are the favourites to replace him?
Manchester United sit bottom of the Premier League table after two games for the first time since 1992, a quite remarkable feat, and deservingly so. They looked lacklustre against Brighton on the opening game of the season and were absolutely ripped apart by Brentford last weekend.
Pundits and fans alike have voiced their concerns about the squad and the general direction of where the club is heading. For example, Gary Neville said that “if they don’t bring players in or if they bring in poor players in and he (Cristiano Ronaldo) leaves, I genuinely think they can finish in the bottom half of the table”.
Paddy Power made the decision to pay out on bets for Erik ten Hag to be the first manager to be sacked this season at half time during Brentford’s demolition of Manchester United, even though more of the aim has been attached to the club’s ownership and board than the Dutchman himself.
Amid all the off the pitch issues, it doesn’t get much easier for them on the field, with a Monday Night fixture against rivals Liverpool, last season’s runners up.
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So, how has it gone so wrong for ten Hag so quickly? Firstly, there has been major scrutiny over Lisandro Martinez’s arrival from his former club Ajax. He has been mocked online by rival fans for his height, with many thinking he is too small for a centre-back. He struggled to deal with Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo before being substituted at half time for Raphael Varane.
However, the damage was already done, and United didn’t improve after half time despite the scoreline remaining the same. Martinez’s price tag will also bring criticism towards ten Hag, who was adamant on bringing the Argentinian with him to Manchester United, as the deal worth £48.5m looks like bad business if his first two games are anything to go by.
Secondly, the club’s failure in the transfer market has been a major issue for the club. Their approach for Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong, who was part of ten Hag’s Ajax side to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019, has been a failure, as weeks of negotiations have got them no closer to a deal.
They are reportedly in talks with Chelsea over the loan signing of USA international Christian Pulisic (best price 9/2), as well as closing on a deal for Real Madrid’s defensive midfielder Casemiro, but that won’t cover the cracks on what has been a dreadful summer of business for the Red Devils.
Everything is stacking up against ten Hag, and he could very well be the next Premier League manager out the door (best priced odds 9/2). If that does end up being true, who are the most likely candidates to replace him at the Old Trafford helm?
Five favourites to replace ten Hag at Manchester United
1. Mauricio Pochettino (Best Price 5/4)
The former Tottenham Hotspur and PSG manager has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League and is currently priced at 5/4 to become the next Man United boss.
He took Spurs all the way to the Champions League final and picked up a league title while in Paris (which is the bare minimum for the Qatari owners). Manchester United have been linked with Pochettino back when he was at Spurs and is the favourite should ten Hag leave.
2. Zinedine Zidane (Best Price 5/1)
The only manager to win the Champions League three consecutive times, Zidane is priced at 5/1 to take the new job. He has previously stated he wouldn’t take the job, purely because of his inability to speak English fluently.
He has also stated that he would like to manage the French national team, which may be inspired by his mistake costing his place in the 2006 World Cup final. Many will remember Zizou headbutting Marco Materazzi as Italy went on to claim the prestigious tournament.
3. Graham Potter (Best Price 9/1)
Potter’s Brighton side have already beaten Manchester United this season, claiming three points in their 2-1 win at Old Trafford. The Seagulls manager is currently priced at 9/1 to become United’s next permanent manager.
Potter has been linked with managing a big club ever since he arrived in England in 2019, after leaving Ostersund by taking them from the fourth tier in Sweden to the top flight, as well as taking them into the UEFA Europa League, a remarkable rise in such a short space of time.
4. Gareth Southgate (Best Price 12/1)
The current England manager is currently priced at 12/1 for the permanent position after ten Hag. This looks unlikely to happen before the turn of the year, with Southgate clearly focusing on England’s 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar.
However, his stock is high after two successful tournament campaigns, taking England to the semi-finals at the most recent World Cup in Russia 2018 before narrowly losing on penalties to Italy last summer in Euro 2020.
5. Brendan Rodgers (Best Price 16/1)
The Northern Irish manager is priced at 16/1 to become the next permanent Manchester United manager. His Leicester side looks set to lose key players in Wesley Fofana and James Maddison, who have been heavily linked with moves away, and Rodgers is 6/1 to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post, highlighting the sense of uncertainty at the King Power Stadium.
Should his services become available to the Red Devils, they will be getting a manager who hasn’t lost to Man United since the final day of the 19/20 Premier League Season.
| Next Permanent Manchester United Manager after Erik ten Hag | Odds |
|---|---|
| Mauricio Pochettino | 5/4 |
| Zinedine Zidane | 5/1 |
| Graham Potter | 9/1 |
| Gareth Southgate | 12/1 |
| Brendan Rodgers | 16/1 |
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