According to ESPN, Manchester United have chosen current Ajax boss Ten Hag as their new coach after considering the qualifications of eight different managers. The Dutch boss, meanwhile, will also become the Red Devils’ fifth long-term coach since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Ten Hag, who leads Ajax to the Dutch Cup final against PSV Eindhoven on Sunday, is likely to be named Manchester United manager before the end of the month.
According to sources, the final four shortlisted candidates for Manchester United’s director of football are Pochettino, Enrique, Lopetegui and Ten Hag. After Solskjaer was sacked in November last year, Bayern boss Nagelsmann, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, Leicester City boss Rodgers and former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane were all considered by Manchester United. But then, Manchester United executives clearly realized that neither Nagelsmann nor Tuchel was a realistic target for the Red Devils.
It is reported that Manchester United owners Glazer family hope to find a suitable coach to help the team get back to the top. One could argue that United appear to have been looking for such a manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, a process that goes back to David Moyes’ arrival at Old Trafford. In fact, due to a series of factors such as personnel changes at the top of Manchester United, the poor record led by interim coach Rangnick, the team’s prospects are dim, and the early popular candidates have been discouraged, the progress of Ten Hag’s coaching Manchester United is not smooth. But a source said that aside from the negative impact of the team’s poor results and the turmoil caused by changes in the top management, the process of hiring a new coach by the United director was impressive. After getting a detailed understanding of the best candidates, they In the end, Ten Hag was chosen, a decision of great strategic significance, which is expected to realize the reform and reconstruction of the team.
A source said: “It’s important to consider all possible options. Guardiola and Klopp are both impossible options, Manchester United can’t take Nagelsmann from Bayern, Tuchel Chelsea is a valuable asset, so he is not a reliable choice. So, looking at the market, who is capable and who is available, Manchester United have considered it, they have not ignored any of the The coach who should communicate.”
When Solskjaer was sacked for seven defeats in 13 games, the initial United favourites were Paris Saint-Germain’s Pochettino and Leicester boss Rodgers. Conte, who left Inter last summer, was not on the radar at the time because his tactical style did not suit United.
United were keen to assess the best option in the domestic league and they were thinking about Rodgers. He made Liverpool a title contender in 2014, then went on to win trophies while coaching Celtic, and he led Leicester to the FA Cup last season, which earned him the top spot at Manchester United. favor. Meanwhile, then-Manchester United CEO Ed Woodward’s favorite was Pochettino, who twice considered appointing the Argentine head coach, once when Van Gaal left in 2016 and once when Mourinho left the team in 2018. Time. However, as Leicester’s results plummeted, Rodgers was quickly eliminated by the club’s hierarchy. In addition, considering Pochettino’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain (contract until June 2023), it is difficult for him to take over Manchester United in a short period of time, so he is also a rather difficult option.
After that, Manchester United appointed interim coach Rangnick to buy time for the management to seriously look for the next head coach. After the failure of the European Premier League last April, Woodward was rarely involved in these matters, and the selection of coaches was overseen by team director Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher. According to sources, Ferguson and Rangnick were also rarely involved. After Woodward officially left and Richard Arnold took over, things began to become clear, and the leadership change accelerated the coaching process.
Richard-Arnold wants to finalize a new coach before the end of the season, he asked the director of Manchester United to determine a final shortlist: Nagelsman is impossible to get, Rodgers long before Richard-Arnold took over as CEO out of the competition. Meanwhile, United’s top brass had been seriously considering an offer for Zidane until they realised that the only club the former France international could possibly return to was Paris Saint-Germain. At the same time, Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government and decided to sell Chelsea, with the Blues’ future uncertain, Tuchel became a potential candidate. However, Manchester United only briefly assessed the possibility of Tuchel coaching, and did not actually approach him and let him leave Stamford Bridge. After some sifting, only four remained on the list: Ten Hag, Pochettino, Enrique and Lopetegui. After a comprehensive evaluation, Enrique and Lopetegui were ruled out, leaving only two options.
The reason for Enrique’s exclusion is that although he has led Barcelona to multiple trophies, the Qatar World Cup is approaching, and Enrique will never leave the team before the opening of the Qatar World Cup in November. Taking into account his technical and tactical abilities, Sevilla coach Lopete has not been valued by the top management of Manchester United. It is reported that there are internal concerns at Old Trafford that Lopetegui may be another Emery, who has been successful in coaching at small clubs, but has not proven himself at the giants. While Emery won the Europa League with both Sevilla and Villarreal, and he also led Huang Qian to this season’s Champions League semi-finals, his spell at Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal’s defeat indirectly affected the perception of Lopetegui at the top of Manchester United. So, just over a month ago, Lopetegui wasn’t on the radar of United’s new boss.
So, United decided to choose between Ten Hag and Pochettino. However, both of them have shortcomings. The attention and intensity of the Premier League is strong. Ten Hag is inexperienced in coaching giants. Whether he can manage a club of Manchester United’s size is questionable. He may not be able to adapt in the next few months or even years. Premier League and Manchester United. However, Ten Hag, 52, has been known by United director Murtough since he took over as Utrecht manager in 2015. Insiders say United are not worried about whether he can manage a team as large as the Red Devils.
As for Pochettino, there are more issues to consider. Although Ancelotti has led the Galaxy battleship to the Champions League semi-finals this season, and the La Liga title is in sight, it is reported that Real Madrid will try to invite Pochettino to coach this summer, and Manchester United is worried about being intercepted by Real Madrid. In addition, Pochettino’s release clause is also a big problem. If the Argentine coach wants to leave the team this summer, Paris Saint-Germain is bound to demand huge compensation from his next home.
Pochettino appears to be a safe bet for United in terms of qualifications and experience, but Ten Hag also has his own unique appeal. The Dutch coach is seen as a rising star in the coaching world, having achieved good results at Ajax, building a young and dynamic team and exceeding expectations in the Champions League Ability. Despite reports that Ten Hag asked for an absolute right to speak to the team when he was in charge of Manchester United, the reality is that the Red Devils have launched more direct negotiations with Ten Hag and Ajax.
Time will tell if United have found the right manager or they will be accused of hiring the cheapest and easiest to get. But given Ajax’s only €2m release clause and Ten Hag’s achievements in developing young players, he could be a cheaper option than Pochettino. Whether the appointment is the right one depends only on what happens on the pitch, though. If United get it right this time around, Ten Hag will be seen as invaluable for a club that has already made too many costly moves.
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