Who is most likely to be Manchester United manager after Thomas Tuchel is ruled out?

Manchester United fans hoped that the beginning 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 get off to the perfect start with quick, efficient announcements of Omar Berrada becoming CEO and Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc joining the board.

Jason Wilcox was also added as technical director and Dan Ashworth was pinpointed as the key target for sporting director.

However, Ashworth’s drawn-out legal battle with Newcastle has certainly taken a little shine away from the widely-praised appointment and the ongoing manager confusion is worryingly similar to what has gone on before in the corridors of power at Old Trafford.

At the start of May it seemed that Erik ten Hag’s fate was sealed. Loss followed loss, United were dropping like a stone in the Premier League and looking likely to get humiliated in the FA Cup final. However, three wins on the bounce to finish the season, including quite possibly the team’s best ever performance under the Dutchman to win the FA Cup, has meant the decision has been a little tougher to make.

Two and a bit weeks on from that glorious afternoon in London and nobody is any surer what is going to happen in the Old Trafford dugout. However, as The Athletic report, “the mood music could hardly be more ominous for Ten Hag as the club’s end-of-season review drags into a third week and a state of confusion grows.”

Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino have been seen as favourites in the media but huge news emerged yesterday that the German was out of the running.

It had been believed that Tuchel thought he was “nailed on” to get the job but clearly a meeting with Sir Jim Ratcliffe last Tuesday did not go the way either party expected.

In addition, when Chelsea sacked Pochettino, many jumped to the conclusion that United would make a move for the Argentine as he narrowly missed out on the job in 2022 to eventual winner Ten Hag.

The eventual marriage between the former Spurs coach and United has always seemed inevitable at some point but once again this idea was torpedoed by the news last evening that he was also unlikely to take the Old Trafford job. Whilst he is not out of the running by any means, this is surely not a positive update for the former Southampton manager.

The Telegraph’s Jason Burt did not elaborate on why it is unlikely and such is the strength of support that Pochettino clearly enjoys in the United boardroom, it would be foolhardy to rule the Argentine out completely at this stage.

There is still one big figure looming large at this point and it isn’t a welcome one in most quarters. It has been widely reported that INEOS rate Gareth Southgate and he is Dan Ashworth’s top choice to replace Ten Hag.

Furthermore, it has been claimed that United are even prepared to delay a final decision on the manager to wait for Southgate’s commitments at Euro 2024 with England to end.

The Peoples Person has already had its say on the potential appointment of Southgate but if names keep dropping out of the race like they are, it may become an all too uncomfortable reality for fans.

“In nearly eight years in charge of England, he has excelled in the type of ‘environment’ management Ratcliffe and Brailsford hold dear” write The Athletic.

Although it must be said that, “doubts persist about whether he is an elite-level coach with the steely single-mindedness that would be needed, week in and week out, to drag United back to the summit of English or European football.”

“Beyond all that, there are the obvious complications involved with trying to appoint the England manager, particularly with Euro 2024 about to begin. A move for Southgate looks a non-starter, but not out of a lack of regard for him.”

Roberto De Zerbi could still be an option as the Italian left Brighton and Hove Albion in a sudden rush at the end of the season. It has been reported that it is De Zerbi’s “dream” to manage United and that he has become a “shock contender” for the job as INEOS cast their net high and wide.

The Italian is a fiery character and distinctly different from Southgate’s calmer demeanour. The style of football is also entirely different with De Zerbi placing great importance on possession and attacking play.

In fact, The Athletic state he is “an excellent coach again, but one Liverpool overlooked (along with Tuchel) in part because they feared he was too combustible to work within their structure. The rancour and discord that precipitated his departure from Brighton & Hove Albion suggested he too would be an unlikely fit for the new regime at United. And still, he is one of the names under consideration.”

Another option that still exists for United to explore is that of Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim. He was tipped for the job around a month ago after failing to get the Liverpool job.

The Portuguese has built a winning machine domestically and is playing style that allows for progressive build up has been widely praised.

However the 39 year old has never been tested at anything like the level of Manchester United and would have to learn a lot on the job in a way Tuchel or Pochettino would not.

Brentford’s Thomas Frank is also someone who could come under consideration and he has reportedly met with Manchester United but again he lacks anything like the top level experience of other candidates and managing and being successful at Brentford is a completely different kettle of fish.

Graham Potter’s name was also mentioned quite a lot a few months ago but rumours have died down as of late. But intriguingly, he still hasn’t taken a job despite serious interest from a club like Ajax.

Ratcliffe is said to be a fan of Potter and they may see him in the same mould as Southgate, someone who can quietly go about their business working in an overall structure.

Finally, there is the prospect of Erik ten Hag staying, but the way the club have publicly left him out to dry by conducting job interviews whilst he is on holiday and crucially, still in the job, appears that he does not have much future at the club.

Whatever INEOS are planning, they need to act now as United have no time to waste in making improvements in the transfer market. The new coach or Ten Hag needs to be in place to begin work on fixing what went so terribly wrong last season and to ensure there is no repeat in the upcoming campaign.

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