After Manchester United’s poor performance against Coventry City on Sunday, the crowd has decided that Erik ten Hag should be replaced.
The same issues persist, and the boss’ uncompromising stance may lead to his own demise, since performance and results have just not been enough.
The 3-3 draw with Coventry was merely the icing on top of a dismal season, even though United advanced on penalties, with Red Devils icon Roy Keane claiming they “looked like a Championship team.”
With that in mind, it’s no wonder that whispers have surfaced about prospective Ten Hag successors, including one manager in particular who Sir Jim Ratcliffe regards as extremely qualified.
Manchester United’s Search for a New Manager
According to sources in Germany, Manchester United and Thomas Tuchel have discussed a job with the club.
Tuchel is presently coaching Bayern Munich, where he hopes to win the Champions League with the German powerhouse.
However, it is said that the former Chelsea manager is unlikely to stay at the club beyond the summer, making talks considerably simpler if United opt to sign him.
Ratcliffe strongly rates Tuchel, and he will undoubtedly be among the prospective successors for Ten Hag if he leaves the Premier League side.
Tuchel would be an improvement above Ten Hag.
Fans of Manchester United will be familiar with Tuchel from his time at Chelsea in the Premier League, where he established himself as an outstanding manager who understands how to win.
Despite not winning the league championship with the Blues, the German manager was tremendously successful during his tenure, winning the Champions League with the team in 2020/21.
Tuchel’s record in the Champions League, with 40 victories, 10 draws, and 15 loses, is what distinguishes him as a “top manager,” as former United manager Ralf Rangnick put it.
He’s built for the big stage and appears to have a special affinity for Europe’s top competition, guiding PSG to their first-ever final and winning 32 of his first 50 matches, breaking Zinedine Zidane’s record of 31 wins from his first 50 games in the Champions League dugout. In sum, he’s a master at top knockout tournament football.
The former Paris Saint-Germain manager was even named the World’s Best Club Coach, highlighting the kind of management United might sign this summer.
| Tuchel’s Bayern vs Ten Hag’s Man Utd | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats | Bayern | Man Utd |
| Wins | 21 | 15 |
| Goals | 87 | 47 |
| Goals conceded | 37 | 48 |
| Clean sheets | 10 | 8 |
| Shots per game | 19.7 | 14 |
| Possession | 62.6% | 50% |
| Possession lost per game | 125.7 | 130.3 |
| Saves per game | 2.1 | 3.8 |
| Goal kicks per game | 6.2 | 8.9 |
| Via Sofascore | ||
As shown above, Tuchel’s Bayern team is simply a level above Manchester United on every single front, and this was also demonstrated in Europe earlier this season, when they overcame the Red Devils in both group matches.
Unlike Ten Hag, who seems to have just one approach and formation, Tuchel has shown tactical flexibility throughout the years, using a range of systems ranging from a 3-4-3 to the 4-2-3-1 type he now employs.
Not only does this allow the 50-year-old to adjust his tactics based on his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, but it also allows for in-game alterations, something Ten Hag has been criticised for lacking.
Overall, Tuchel would help Manchester United, and based on this season, he’d be a step up from Ten Hag, whose game is just frustrating at the top level.