So far, Manchester United seem to be holding firm with embattled coach Erik ten Hag as their manager for the remainder of the 2024/25 season, even as the Red Devils continue to sit closer to the middle of the table than the Champions League slots.
Ten Hag has failed to inspire as Man United coach since leading the Red Devils back to the Champions League in his first season, as the club finished eighth last season and are currently in an unacceptable 14th at the October international break.
But new ownership group INEOS did not replace the Dutchman upon taking over this summer, and after lengthy meetings this week to determine the manager’s future, they have not moved to remove the ex-Ajax coach.
Thomas Tuchel emerged as the favorite to replace ten Hag at some point last season, probably shortly after Bayern Munich announced that they would not be keeping the former Champions League-winning manager at Chelsea.
The German coach rubbed many players the wrong way, and while he did come a stone’s throw away from reaching the Champions League Final against rivals Dortmund (another former team of his), he ultimately lost to Real Madrid and also broke up Bayern’s monopoly of the Bundesliga.
Still, Tuchel is a much more acclaimed coach than ten Hag, and Manchester United are understandably pushing for him. The problem is that they aren’t the only ones with the ambition to hire the enigmatic but brilliant manager.
According to BILD reporter Christian Falk, Thomas Tuchel is actually currently in negotiations with the England national team to take over Gareth Southgate’s old post and bring title glory back to an England side that is fresh off losing two European Championships in gut-wrenching fashion.
England have one of the most talented squads in international football – if not THE most talented – with players like Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, and, of course, Ballon d’Or candidate Jude Bellingham in their ranks.
Tuchel would be a grand hire to help elevate England to championship status. It would be quite the twist for Manchester United to lose out on Tuchel to England, of all parties, especially since they were once closely linked to Southgate as a ten Hag replacement during the 2023/24 season.
