da betway： The FA Cup final is set to be the Dutchman's final game in charge of the Red Devils but who would be his most suitable successor?
da blaze casino： Try as he might, Erik ten Hag cannot stop the speculation about his Manchester United future from spiralling. The manager would have loved to just concentrate on the match against Manchester City in his pre-FA Cup final press conference, but inevitably the attention turned to whether he would be in charge next season.
The manager faced seven questions about his future, including how his time at the club would be judged. Despite his insistence that he was "just focusing on the job and continuing with the project", it sure felt like it might be the last time he would be previewing a game at United's Carrington training ground.
And just a few hours later multiple reports emerged that United have been selecting potential candidates in the event that he does get sacked. They were followed by another report on Friday suggesting that Ten Hag will get his marching orders after the final, regardless of the result.
Ten Hag, however, can hardly argue about the speculation as his position has become untenable due to the team's horrendous results in his second campaign. Just how can Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford justify keeping him after he presided over the club's lowest finish in the Premier League while losing a record number of games?
GOAL ranks the candidates to succeed Ten Hag if, as expected, he is relieved of his duties after the FA Cup final.
Getty Images6Erik ten Hag
There is still a tiny possibility that Ten Hag remains in charge, as United insist that no decision will be made before the final, stating that they will conduct a review of the season when it is over.
The coach has been burnt by a interminable run of injuries, depriving him of any consistent defensive line throughout the season. If he can convince INEOS that this season's injury problems are a one-off and point to the progress he has made with youngsters such as Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, he may be given one more chance.
There is also a financial motivation to keep the Dutchman around. Sacking him and his staff would cost an estimated £10m ($13m), while the club would need to hire a new manager and support staff, potentially paying more fees to free a coach from an existing contract.
The club are already sailing close to the sun with regards to the Premier League's profitability and sustainability regulations, while money will be further squeezed by failing to get into the Champions League and likely missing out on European football altogether.
However, keeping Ten Hag around just to save a bit of money is far from an ideal solution and there is a danger of players not giving their all as they would know he is on borrowed time.
AdvertisementGetty 5Roberto De Zerbi
The Italian is already on the market after cutting ties with Brighton and he is a fascinating option due to the thrilling football he got the Seagulls playing. Indeed, he exhibited his coaching ability to the Old Trafford faithful when Brighton dismantled United in September.
He took Brighton into Europe for the first time and they finished top of a group full of giants of continental football including Ajax and Marseille. It is tempting to wonder what he could achieve with world class players and a club of United's ambition.
But INEOS will be wary of De Zerbi's fiery temperament and his tendency to say and do what he wants. His desire for more signings saw him clash with Brighton chairman Tony Bloom and his touchline behaviour means he might not be the ambassador the club's hierarchy are looking for.
Getty4Thomas Frank
Frank has worked wonders with Brentford, taking them into the top flight for the first time ever in 2021. The Dane has gained more and more admirers for helping Brentford punch well above their weight, playing tactically shrewd football on a shoestring budget and making the most of data analysis.
Ratcliffe has made it clear that he does not plan to fix United's problems with marquee signings and Frank has shown there is another way to get success. He knows the league and has an excellent record against the top sides, as United and Ten Hag know all too well. Indeed, Brentford were the last team in any competition to beat Manchester City away from home.
The one concern is his lack of experience in the glare of the spotlight. David Moyes was highly respected for his work at Everton but was swallowed up by the enormity of being United manager and there is a danger the same could happen to Frank.
Getty 3Kieran McKenna
The Northern Irishman has been one of the most impressive coaches in English football in the past two seasons. No English team has earned more points than his Ipswich team in the last two years and only City have scored more goals. He has taken Ipswich back to the top flight for the first time in 22 years, also becoming the first manager in 12 years to achieve successive promotions from League One to the Premier League.
McKenna would also be a romantic option after building his reputation as a coach while in United's youth ranks, climbing his way into the staff of Jose Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Norwegian called him "the most thorough and analytical, step-by-step, process-driven coach that I’ve worked with" and said "he makes it so easy for the players to see and understand what we wanted from them."
That praise has to be balanced with criticism from players at the time that he was too much like a teacher and gave too many instructions. That gives an insight into the arrogance of some of the United squad at the time but also suggests that, rather like Frank, he might not be ready for the cauldron of pressure that comes with managing at Old Trafford.