Ten Hag 'on thin ice' as Man Utd eye Zidane as new manager

2 Nov 2023 12:54 CDT
3 min read

Manchester United are believed to be exploring alternatives to Erik ten Hag for the first time after overseeing the club’s worst start to a season in 61 years, with the Dutchman said to be on ‘thin ice’.

United crashed out of the Carabao Cup in dismal fashion on Wednesday, losing 3-0 at home to a rotated Newcastle side, making it eight defeats in 14 games including five defeats at Old Trafford.

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Although Ten Hag has received backing from the club during their poor run, The Times state that the defeat to Newcastle as well as the 3-0 loss at home to rivals Manchester City last weekend have put his position under threat.

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Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim and ex-Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane are viewed as potential replacements but the situation is said to be ‘hugely complicated’ by the uncertainty over United’s ownership.

The Glazer family are in talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe for the INEOS CEO to buy 25% of the club for £1.4 billion, with the billionaire – Britain’s richest man – said to be handed control of United’s footballing operations.

However, Ratcliffe’s takeover could take weeks to finalise and United will be reluctant to make major changes before his arrival, leaving Ten Hag in uncertainty amid reports of tension in the dressing room.

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United are said to be committed to Ten Hag but the need for a turnaround in results is acknowledged, while some players are said to doubt their manager’s abilities to change their fortunes.

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Although Zidane is considered a frontrunner for the job if it becomes available, the Frenchman insisted last year that his inability to ‘master’ the English language would make a move to United difficult.

“When I was a player, I could choose almost every club. As a coach, there aren’t 50 clubs I can go to. There are two or three possibilities. If I go back to a club, it’s to win. I say this in all modesty,” Zidane told L’Equipe in 2022.

“That’s why I can’t go anywhere. For other reasons, too, I might not be able to go everywhere. Which ones? The language, for example. Certain conditions make things more difficult.

© ProShots - Zinedine Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in 2021

“When people say to me: ‘Do you want to go to Manchester?’ I understand English but I don’t fully master it. I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work differently.

“To win, many elements come into play. It’s a global context. Me, I know what I need to win.”