Thomas Tuchel is now officially England manager, meaning Manchester United will now have to look elsewhere in their search to replace under-pressure Erik ten Hag. Former Chelsea and Bayern boss Tuchel had been widely linked with United before he was appointed as the new England boss on Wednesday.
“I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team,” Tuchel said after his unveiling. “I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already,” he added. “To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.”
United look local in manager search
With a move for Tuchel now out of the question, United will turn their attention to two English managers in their search to replace Ten Hag. That’s according to TEAMtalk, who report that former Brighton and Chelsea head coach Graham Potter and Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe are in a “strong position” to succeed the Dutchman should he be given the axe.
The publication claim that both managers are admired by United, but Potter is the more likely of the two to land the job. Potter, who usually deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.
While the Englishman endured a tough time at Stamford Bridge, winning just 39% of his 31 matches in charge, he fared much better during his time at Brighton between 2019 and 2022. During the last of his three years in charge of the Seagulls, Potter guided the club to what was then their best-ever Premier League finish of ninth, securing wins over Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Pep Guardiola’s Man City in the process.
Ten Hag close to sack as United prepare for Brentford
According to reports shared by TEAMtalk, United are prepared to sack Ten Hag should his side fail to win their next Premier League game against Brentford. This season, the Dutch manager has led the Red Devils to their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign, gathering just eight points from a possible 21.
The club is currently 14th in the top flight, two points behind 11th placed Brentford, who they welcome to Old Trafford on Saturday.
They believe he’d be a great addition.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag will have to make do without Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw and Amad Diallo, while Manuel Ugarte, Rosmus Hojlund, and Alejandro Garnacho are also doubts.