The days of success, glory, and dominance at Manchester United are firmly in the past, and it’s Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s job to make that the future of the club.
The post-Sir Alex Ferguson era has been an utter disaster, failing on every single front, with each manager struggling to have a real impact.
Unfortunately, Erik ten Hag seems to be the latest head coach to succumb to the inevitable sacking, with United’s 2-2 draw against Bournemouth just adding more pressure on the Dutchman.
Because of this, numerous names have been flying around over the past few days, with United set to reevaluate the future of the current boss, with one former Premier League manager shortlisted.
Erik ten Hag’s time at Man United
“Eras come to an end” was the quote used by Ten Hag before joining Man United, and throughout last season, there was the belief amongst the fanbase that he was truly going to save the club from all their failure.
Despite losing his first game in charge to Brighton & Hove Albion, the former Ajax coach ended the season in promising fashion, winning the EFL Cup, finishing third in the league, and narrowly missing out in the FA Cup final.
However, Ten Hag has been thrown numerous problems to solve this season, with a never-ending injury cycle being at the forefront of that.
Nevertheless, the stubborn approach of the boss has started to frustrate the United faithful, but even earlier this season, there were signs of struggle as the Red Devils were dumped out of a relatively comfortable group in the Champions League.
Bournemouth 2-2 Man Utd
Man Utd 2-2 Liverpool
Chelsea 4-3 Man Utd
Man Utd 2-0 Everton
Man City 3-1 Man Utd
Fast forward to today, and Ten Hag’s Man United sit seventh in the Premier League, with a top-four finish all but out of reach, and they haven’t won in their last four games, with a loss to Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final at the weekend inevitably ending his time at the club.
Man Utd lining up a potentially "incredible" Erik ten Hag replacement
He will be available for free this summer.
ByJoe Nuttall Erik ten Hag’s potential replacement
The problem this season isn’t just the results but also the style of play that Ten Hag has opted for, which frankly doesn’t exist.
The Reds have conceded more goals than they’ve scored in the Premier League, which is a disgrace, and they’ve conceded 20+ shots in 14 games this season.
However, there’s a certain coach who would most definitely fix that issue, and his name is Antonio Conte. United are keeping an eye on the Italian having added the experienced manager to their shortlist, as per reports in Spain via via TEAMtalk.
Unlike when Ten Hag originally joined, the Italian boss has already tasted success in England, famously winning the 2016/17 Premier League title with Chelsea and the FA Cup during the following campaign.
However, his recent spell in the Premier League wasn’t quite as successful, spending just under a year and a half at Tottenham Hotspur before being sacked in 2023.
Games
594
Wins
347 (58%)
Draws
134 (23%)
Losses
113 (19%)
Points-per-match
1.98
However, as you can see by the table above, the 54-year-old knows how to win football matches, with his preferred 3-5-2/ 3-4-3 formation bringing him plenty of success over his career.
Conte is known as a manager who ensures that the basics are nailed to perfection, which is one of the main reasons why his teams have historically conceded very few, with the highest goals conceded in a league season being 38 before his spell at Spurs.
For context, Ten Hag’s side this season has already conceded 48 times, which just highlights that a lack of defensive security is a huge issue at Man United this season.
That said, Conte, who's never actually beaten Ten Hag, would bring the perfect balance between attack and defence, which the wing-back system often supplements.
Lisandro Martinez, Rasmus Hojlund, Bruno Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo would all thrive in the Conte system in particular, but there would have to be some signings in the summer for it to work effectively.
There is no doubt that Conte is a "genius," as per journalist Matt Law, and in theory, he would steady the ship at Old Trafford, and potentially that’s the route that Ratcliffe may want to take in the short-term future of the club.
