One of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first big on-field decisions at Manchester United will be whether to persist with Erik ten Hag beyond this season, and Thomas Tuchel is the latest man to be linked as a potential successor to the current manager.
Ten Hag led United to a third-place finish in the Premier League in his first campaign in charge, but has been struggling this term. The team sits down in eighth place in the league after 21 games – 11 points adrift of the top four – and suffered an early elimination from the Champions League.
Ratcliffe’s arrival in December has prompted more questions about what might come next. The billionaire’s 25 percent investment in the club December is due to be ratified in February, but changes have already begun.
The arrival of new CEO Omar Berrada is a big statement, and the subject of a new manager has also been floated. Former Chelsea boss Tuchel is among those mentioned, but he’s not the only one, and here are some contenders.
Thomas Tuchel
United have already got a close-up look at Tuchel’s work this season, with the German’s Bayern Munich side doing the double over them in the Champions League. The victory at Old Trafford in the final group game took Bayern to 16 points from six group games, making them one of just six teams to go through the group stages unbeaten.
When it comes to European football, the former Borussia Dortmund boss’ record is clear. He won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 and almost inspired a remarkable comeback against Real Madrid in the following season’s quarter-finals, and Metro report that he has been shortlisted for a return to England with United.
There has also been speculation around Tuchel’s fondness for Spain, with Barcelona looking for a new boss after Xavi’s confirmation he will leave in the summer. However, Bayern’s reaction indicates they are in no mood to let their boss move on so early in his tenure at the Allianz Arena.
Ruben Amorim
Sporting boss Amorim has been linked with United before and he’ll surely be linked again. The former Portugal international ended his club’s 19-year wait for a title in 2021, and the Premier League side are closer to that milestone than they would like.
Still just 39 years old, Amorim is already in his third senior managerial job, as well as a brief stint in charge of Braga’s ‘B’ team. He also has another league title in his sights, with Sporting top of the pile after 19 games, while the team from Lisbon remain alive in the Europa League.
The biggest question may be his lack of Premier League experience, especially given the questions over Ten Hag’s recruitment in the light of his own unfamiliarity with English football. Amorim is much younger than the current boss, though, with time more on his side as he looks to learn the ropes.
Xavi
When United sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, there were suggestions from some around the club that they needed a big name used to winning things as a player as well as a manager. The name mentioned at the time was Zinedine Zidane, who no longer looks a likely candidate, but Xavi ticks similar boxes and will be available in the summer.
“I think the club needs a change of dynamic,” Xavi said when announcing his departure. “For the good of the players, I believe that they will free themselves. We play with a lot of tension.”
There’s still a sense that Xavi at Barcelona brings different pressures to Xavi elsewhere. He won the Champions League as a player and La Liga as a manager, while also helping Barca climb from ninth to second in his first full season, and there are surely some excited to see if he’d be capable of similar at Old Trafford.
Graham Potter
Sure, Graham Potter didn’t work out as Chelsea manager, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe appears to be a fan. The Englishman emerged as a candidate for the top job at Ratcliffe’s other club OGC Nice over the summer, indicating his spell in West London hadn’t put everyone off his qualities.
Nice ended up backing Francesco Faraoli instead, and have been rewarded with a shot at Champions League qualification. Potter has been biding his time, though, waiting for the right opportunity.
Could that opportunity come in Manchester? The build he did on the south coast points to an ability to get the best out of young and developing players, but the question facing United is whether the problems at Chelsea would also apply at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick
The arrival of Solskjaer at Old Trafford in December 2018 gave United a short-term boost, with the Norwegian winning the squad over and producing some fine form in a variety of competitions. With that in mind, there may be a temptation to look at a former player once more.
Carrick was part of the coaching staff when Solskjaer made way, taking charge of a pair of games and delivering impressive performances against Chelsea and Villarreal. Rather than staying on board, though, he opted to prove himself at Middlesbrough and it’s looking like a smart call so far.
After last season’s play-off run, Carrick found things tough when striker Chuba Akpom left the Riverside Stadium. He has shown ‘bouncebackability’ in the league, though, with a run to the Carabao Cup semi-finals also pointing to him as a manager with the qualities to step up.