Thomas Tuchel expects to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager in the coming weeks, according to reports. The incumbent boss won the FA Cup against Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday, making it two trophies in two seasons at Old Trafford.
It was claimed that Ten Hag’s fate had already been decided pre-match by INEOS win or lose in London. And Ten Hag admitted after the academy-inspired 2-1 defeat of rivals City that he’s not actually sure if he’ll be at the club next season.
A dreadful Premier League season saw United finish eighth after suffering 14 losses and ending with a negative goal difference. The Red Devils succumbed to 19 defeats across all competitions and produced a number of underwhelming performances.
But FA Cup glory saw the season end on a high note and secured Europa League football for whoever is on the Old Trafford touchline next term. And the Daily Mirror say Tuchel expects Sir Jim Ratcliffe to follow through with a ruthless decision to axe Ten Hag.
Tuchel is confident of replacing the Dutch coach after leaving Bayern Munich. The former Chelsea manager wants a second shot in the Premier League after being sacked by the Blues in September 2022 despite winning the Champions League the previous campaign.
Though 50-year-old is one of the most accomplished coaches on the market, he is not the only one in the crosshairs of United decision-makers INEOS. Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna and Mauricio Pochettino, who recently left Chelsea, are other candidates.
Graham Potter also rejected Ajax recently and is another option as is England manager Gareth Southgate, though he has Euro 2024 to prep for. He would not be available until mid-July at the earliest as a result.
The Mirror claim close friends of Tuchel, who snubbed the chance to remain at Bayern, say the German is desperate to return to England because he feels he has ‘finished business’ in the Premier League. He is not thought to be an option for the currently-managerless Chelsea despite his ties with the club’s fanbase.
The Blues are instead looking at ex-United assistant McKenna, Brentford boss Thomas Frank and Leicester tactician Enzo Maresca, formerly part of Pep Guardiola’s staff at Manchester City.
But Ten Hag insists if United do get rid of him, they are losing a manager who consistently wins trophies. He led Ajax to back-to-back Eredivisie titles before coming to Manchester, as well as a KNVB Cup, while the Dutch giants ended this year fifth and 35 points behind champions PSV.
Ten Hag told journalists after the FA Cup final: “If they don’t want me anymore I will go somewhere else to win trophies – because that’s what I have always done throughout my career.
“When I came here I said I had come to win trophies and we have now won two. That isn’t bad, is it?. This club hasn’t won many trophies over the last 10 years. INEOS have told me – but they don’t have to tell me every week.
“I am where I want to be. When I came here, United were in a mess. I don’t know (about the future). But this team now has an identity. Now we have ended the season on a high and we have all summer to enjoy it.”
United captain Bruno Fernandes said: “We just want to celebrate. What happens with the manager is not for me to decide. I’m just a football player.”
While City boss Pep Guardiola reflected: “United have to take a decision! He [Ten Hag] is a lovely person, an extraordinary manager, and winning the FA Cup is important for them – like it was for us last year.”
