It seems that Manchester United fans are not overly enamoured with the idea of Gareth Southgate taking over from Erik ten Hag as manager. The future of the Dutch boss continues to appear up in the air at Old Trafford following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with the INEOS chief thus far refusing to publicly back his manager.
Ratcliffe, who now owns a 27 per cent stake in United, has been handed control of footballing operations and is expected to oversee transfers and managerial appointments. The 71-year-old is a known admirer of Southgate, and has been linked with a move for the England boss when Euro 2024 finishes this summer.
But in a poll for Express readers, club fans made their own feelings on that notion abundantly clear. The question was asked ‘Would Gareth Southgate be a success at Man Utd?’, with a huge 86 per cent saying no, and just 14 per cent opting for yes.
Supporters also answered ‘Who would be the best choice to take over Man Utd if Ten Hag is sacked?’ and again, the former Middlesbrough boss was again snubbed. From the six options offer, he received only 11 per cent of the vote, with only Graham Potter (seven per cent) and Ruben Amorim (five per cent) getting less.
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel received 16 per cent of the vote, with Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi topped the list of individual candidates with 24 per cent. But a reflection of the uncertainty that reigns among United fans right now was apparent by 37 per cent of voters opting for ‘other’, not believing any of the five listed were suitable.
The pressure appeared to be easing on Ten Hag last month when his side dramatically beat Liverpool 4-3 in the FA Cup, setting up a semi-final clash with Coventry City at Wembley. But his position his back in the spotlight following Saturday’s disjointed display at Brentford, where the Red Devils fortuitously came away with a 1-1 draw.
And fan feeling towards the ex-Ajax boss is clearly divided, with only 55 per cent of poll voters agreeing that he deserves another season at the helm, with 45 per cent wanting him gone in the summer. His future may hinder on how United finish the 2024/25 campaign, but their Champions League hopes appear to be dwindling, lying sixth and eight points off the top five.
Sunday comes another huge home game with Liverpool, and Gary Neville has been one former player to warn Ten Hag his side are in serious trouble if they don’t improve on their weekend performance. Labelling the display a “new low,” he joked Brentford deserved a petition to get two extra points back.
“They won’t be that bad next week, they can’t be that bad,” said Neville. “But if Liverpool do their jobs next week then Manchester United are going to be in a lot of trouble. There will be something different, it can’t get any worse.”
