Many associated with Manchester United – including its huge fanbase – are worried about the team’s immediate future, with the club sitting 12th in the Premier League. But not Erik ten Hag.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Ten Hag insisted that there was no reason for him to ‘panic’.
“I experience this so often with my teams,” he added. “We can solve them out. This team can solve them out.”
Ten Hag, after Manchester United’s 3-0 loss to Tottenham last weekend, insisted that he was not in danger of getting sacked, even though the majority of the community had been calling for his head.
“Nothing for me to panic about” ❌
Erik ten Hag is confident his Manchester United side can sort out their problems 💪 pic.twitter.com/2nAstRgXZb
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 2, 2024
Ten Hag is confident that he can turn the season around. “We are going to make a success from the season,” he declared, just days before Manchester United travel to Porto for a difficult away game in the UEFA Europa League.
Just two days after the game in Portugal, Ten Hag and his men will look to better its Premier League record by traveling to Birmingham to play Villa. A win in either (ideally) both, could instill some confidence in United fans and the board.
On the other hand, if Ten Hag ends this week winless, his position could be under serious threat, and Manchester United already has replacements lined up.
Manchester United have identified Massimiliano Allegri as one of the options to replace Erik ten Hag if he fails to ‘turn the season around,’ as he claimed. Allegri is reportedly a favorite of Sir Alex Ferguson, the club’s most successful manager in history.
Apart from Allegri, Manchester United could also consider Thomas Tuchel, who has been out of a job since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the 2024/25 season. Both Tuchel and Allegri—managers not known for their exciting style of play but for delivering results—are potential candidates to take charge at Old Trafford in 2024.
Allegri is a strong candidate to replace Ten Hag if they decide to fire him 👀
Sir Alex Ferguson as a big fan and is advocating for him.
It will be between Max and Tuchel.
📰 Gazzetta pic.twitter.com/Oow9uC1goc
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) October 1, 2024
However, hiring a new manager could be tricky and potentially a long, complicated process. Should the club go down that path, they might turn to Zinedine Zidane, who has been without a club since leaving Real Madrid in 2021.
If Ten Hag faces an abrupt sacking, more immediate replacements could be on hand. Assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy could take over as interim manager, and well, why not Ole Gunnar Solskjaer again?
