Man Utd: Ratcliffe ‘earmarks’ Prem boss to replace Ten Hag despite two fears with ‘ideal’ target ruled out
Man Utd have identified Brentford boss Thomas Frank as a top target to replace Erik ten Hag as moves for Carlo Ancelotti and Gareth Southgate look unlikely, according to reports.
Ten Hag had a promising first season as Red Devils boss with the Dutchman guiding his side to an FA Cup final, Carabao Cup silverware and a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Southgate unlikely to be the chosen one if Ten Hag leaves
But this campaign has not gone to plan with Man Utd exiting Europe by finishing bottom of their Champions League group, while they are currently sixth in the Premier League as they struggle for consistency.
That has led to rumours that new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS will look to replace Ten Hag in the summer as they look to bring fresh ideas to the table.
However, the Red Devils’ 4-3 victory over Liverpool in their FA Cup quarter-final before the international break has given Ten Hag’s chances of being at Man Utd next season a boost.
Gareth Southgate has been linked heavily as a potential replacement for Ten Hag but reliable journalist Ben Jacobs has insisted that the England manager would “need convincing to jump back into a club football job at this stage”.
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Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “Gareth Southgate has been in international management for a lot longer than at club level. Therefore, he would maybe need convincing to jump back into a club football job at this stage.
“But it will all be contingent on how the European Championships go. Let’s not forget that, right now, Southgate has got another golden generation.
“There is a real opportunity to win Euro 2024 and build something after the tournament. I think that is tempting for Southgate to stay on if the mood and form are right, and England live up to their billing.”
Football Transfers has revealed that Southgate is ‘admired by Sir Dave Brailsford, who is Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s right-hand man’ but the England boss ‘is far from a unanimous choice among the Red Devils’ new hierarchy and is likely to be passed over as a serious candidate for the role’.
Why Man Utd want Thomas Frank…
The report adds that it is Brentford boss Frank ‘who is being earmarked for the Man Utd dugout’ after impressing during his six-year spell at the Bees.
Football Transfers continues:
‘Man Utd will be particularly attracted by his ability to identify and progress young talents, which is the direction that Ratcliffe and Brailsford have hinted their transfer policy will move primarily in.
‘The drawbacks of Frank are that he has not any experience working at a big club or with players the stature of Manchester United’s, while he has also yet to win any major honours as a manager – something that would be demanded of him at Old Trafford.’
Man Utd ‘would ideally like Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti’ to replace Ten Hag but ‘the Italian is seen as an unrealistic target’.
