According to reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano, former Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel is a strong candidate to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United’s new manager.
The Red Devils have had a poor start to the Premier League campaign and they have accumulated just 8 points from their first 7 games. This is their worst-ever run in 35 years and ten Hag is expected to hold a meeting with the board in the coming days.
Speaking in his YouTube channel, Romano reiterated that Tuchel had discussions with United’s hierarchy following the FA Cup final in May, but the German tactician decided to take a break instead after his stint with Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
United decided to stick with ten Hag as their head coach for the ongoing season, but Romano believes Tuchel remains a candidate ‘for sure’ if the Red Devils were to contemplate a change in the near future.
He said: “Guys, what I keep repeating to you on Thomas Tuchel is that Tuchel, you remember the exclusive story last summer, when Man United considered the position of Erik ten Hag, they were in the process to decide whether they wanted to confirm Ten Hag or fire him last summer after winning the FA Cup.
What happened is that internally at Manchester United, they had a meeting with Thomas Tuchel and also with his agent representing him. So there was a meeting. Then they decided not to proceed on both sides. On Tuchel’s side, he wanted to relax a bit after Bayern, to take some energy and then return in the next months.
“And also, Manchester United decided to confirm Erik Ten Hag as the manager. But that meeting is showing to you once again that the appreciation of INEOS, of the management team and of Manchester United in general, for Thomas Tuchel remains. So for sure, Thomas Tuchel is a candidate.”
Possible change
United’s board were seriously contemplating a change before the FA Cup final last season, but the dynamics shifted after ten Hag guided the club to a surprise win over Manchester City. After an end-of-season assessment, the hierarchy were quite happy with the decision to back ten Hag for the summer and beyond.
The Dutchman was handed a huge transfer kitty to bolster the squad, but despite this, there has been no improvement whatsoever. The club have struggled in Europe too with a couple of draws against Twente and Porto in the Europa League. They face another tough test versus Fenerbahce on the road later this month.
Ten Hag is scheduled to meet the board in the coming days and it won’t surprise us if he is axed from his position. INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe already have a readymade successor in the form of Tuchel, who could be prepared to take the job this time around, having had an extended break after parting ways with Bayern.
The 51-year-old had a productive stint with Premier League rivals Chelsea who won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup under his reign. He was dismissed from the helm due to differences with the new owners and the German could relish the prospect of returning to the English top-flight with United.
One of the main concerns under Ten Hag has been the lack of cohesion in the starting line-up. The Dutchman’s tactics have been familiar in almost every game and the opposition have easily found out playing patterns and have taken advantage. With Tuchel, United could fare better as he is more versatile and likes to adapt to situations.
