Manchester United are set to appoint an interim coach ahead of the season, as they prepare for a potentially seismic summer in the managerial market, particularly in the Premier League.
Chelsea have already severed ties with Enzo Maresca, but the Italian has been tipped to replace Josep Guardiola at Manchester City if the Catalan prodigy leaves after 10 years at the Etihad.
Thomas Frank and Arne Slott are under intense scrutiny at Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool respectively, while top-flight managers such as Marco Silva, Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola also have contracts expiring in June.
And there are echoes of the madness of the summer 10 years ago, when Guardiola and Jose Mourinho were in action in Manchester and Antonio Conte arrived at Chelsea. Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp had already moved to Liverpool a few months earlier.
However, the problem now is that in the era of Jason Wilcox and technical directors, the era of the ‘super coach’ appears to be coming to an end. But can United still wait until they sign the last of their endangered players?
Manchester United target Eddie Howe replacement as top target
By all accounts, INEOS will be bringing in some familiar faces to steady the ship until the end of the season, but Ole Gunnar Solskjær remains the frontrunner for the vacant position.
However, the Norwegian’s friend and former teammate Roy Keane believes that United should not go back to their old home in the long term, with the Irishman naming Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe as his priority pick on Thursday night.
Howe had already been approached by Chelsea ahead of the signing of Liam Rosenior and was linked with a move to the Old Trafford post after an impressive four-and-a-half years at St James’ Park.
The Englishman would be a relatively safe bet as he is a proven Premier League manager, but the club could well be aiming higher, with talkSPORT’s Alex Crook suggesting Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel is a likely candidate.
Marseille’s Roberto de Zerbi is also currently in the top job, according to reports, but Kreuk says Tuchel has been linked with his arrival in the summer of 2024 and is someone who is constantly mentioned.
“A name you keep hearing in the summer is English manager Thomas Tuchel, who is at the top of Manchester United’s list,” Crook said.
“By the way, he turned down the opportunity before becoming England manager, but I don’t think that necessarily means he wouldn’t be open to the idea.”
Why Tuchel is a huge upgrade over Howe for Man United
Keane seems to think there is wisdom in turning to someone like Howe, but for all his impressive work, there is a lack of charm around the former Bournemouth manager, and perhaps it is the David Moyes vibe that might generate such interest.
Yes, the 48-year-old won a silver medal after leading Newcastle to Carabao Cup glory in March, but his ability to manage at a truly elite level is still up for debate.
However, the same cannot be said for Tuchel, with the German prodigy enjoying success at a string of Europe’s elite clubs and memorably helping Chelsea become Champions League winners just six months after replacing Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge.
The current England manager, who is only 52, has already won titles in both France and Germany with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and has also had productive spells with Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.
As already mentioned, there seems to be a lack of a truly elite manager on the market, but Tuchel is truly the best and has been hailed by the FA’s Mark Bullingham as “one of the best managers in the world” as he will replace Gareth Southgate at the end of 2024.
The problem is that, frustratingly, United will have to wait until after the World Cup to sign their ‘top target’, but given that his contract with England expires this summer, it could be an easy deal after that.
Tuchel was previously interviewed by INEOS amid the debate over whether to sack coach Erik ten Hag in 2024, having just come off a turbulent spell at Bayern, but there were also reports suggesting he missed the chance and had concerns about the club’s transfer policy.
Tuchel vs Manchester national team manager* | ||
|---|---|---|
manager | game | record |
david moyes | 4 | 3W, 0D, 1L |
ole gunnar solskjaer | 5 | 2W, 1D, 2L |
louis van gaal | 4 | 2W, 0D, 2L |
Ralph Rangnick | 6 | 4W, 1D, 1L |
eric ten hag | 2 | 2W |
Jose Mourinho | 1 | 1W |
michael carrick | 1 | 1D |
(Eddie Howe) | 1 | 1W |
*And Howe | ||
via Transfermarkt | ||
The latter fact could still be an issue, but if the Willcoxes were to hand over the keys to the castle to anyone, it would surely be Tuchel.
Howe has undoubtedly shown his strengths in inferior situations at both Bournemouth and Newcastle, but it remains to be seen whether he can step up in such high-pressure environments.
As for Tuchel, his tenure tends to be short and sweet, but his winning credentials are undeniable. INEOS has preached the pursuit of best-in-class in every department, so why not finally pursue it in the dugout?
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