After Manchester United’s appalling performance from the 70th minute onwards against Coventry City on Sunday, the consensus amongst the fanbase is that Erik ten Hag should be sacked.
The same problems continue to occur, and the boss’ stubborn approach could lead to his own downfall, as the performance and results simply haven’t been good enough.
The 3-3 draw against Coventry was just the cherry on top of a disastrous season, even though United progressed on penalties, with Red Devils legend Roy Keane saying they “looked like a Championship team.”
With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see the emergence of rumours surrounding potential replacements for Ten Hag, with one manager in particular regarded highly by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Man Utd’s search for a new manager
According to reports from Germany, Man United and Thomas Tuchel have been in contact over a position with the club.
Tuchel is currently managing Bayern Munich, where he will aim to win the Champions League with the German giant.
However, it’s reported that it’s unlikely that the former Chelsea boss will remain at the club beyond the summer, which will make negotiations much easier if United do decide to move for him.
Ratcliffe values Tuchel highly, and he will certainly be on the list of potential replacements for Ten Hag if he does part ways with the Premier League club.
Tuchel would be an upgrade on Ten Hag
Man United fans will be well aware of Tuchel from his time in the Premier League at Chelsea, where he really cemented himself as an elite tactician who knows how to win.
Over his Blues career, the German boss was extremely successful despite not winning the league title, instead lifting the Champions League with the club during the 2020/21 season.
What makes Tuchel such a “top manager,” as dubbed by former United boss Ralf Rangnick, is his record in the Champions League in particular, which stands at 40 wins, 10 draws, and 15 defeats.
He’s made for the big occasion and seems to have a particular affinity with Europe's best competition, steering PSG to their first-ever final and also winning 32 of his first 50 matches, beating Zinedine Zidane's record of 31 wins from their first 50 games in the dugout of a Champions League fixture. In short, he's a genius when it comes to elite knockout tournament football.
The former Paris Saint-Germain boss was even awarded the World’s Best Club Coach award, which truly highlights the pedigree of manager United could hire this summer.
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
As can be sen above, Tuchel’s Bayern side are just a level above Man Utd on every single front, and that was also displayed in Europe earlier this season, as they defeated the Red Devils in both group games.
Unlike Ten Hag, who seems to only have a plan A in terms of approach and formation, Tuchel has proven to be tactically flexible over the years, utilising a variety of systems from a 3-4-3, to the 4-2-3-1 variant he uses today.
Not only does this allow the 50-year-old to tweak his tactics depending on the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, but it also enables in-game changes, which Ten Hag has been called out for a lack of.
Overall, Tuchel would definitely improve Man United and based on this season, he’d be an upgrade on Ten Hag, whose football is simply infuriating at the highest level.
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