Thomas Frank, Brentford’s leading manager, is seen as the front-runner to take over at Manchester United following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal on Monday. Frank had previously been contemplated as a possible successor to Ten Hag late in the previous season, with Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos-driven football division speaking with numerous potential replacements.
Currently in his fourth Premier League season, 51-year-old Frank has directed the Bees to the 13th, 9th, and 16th places in his three completed seasons. It’s noteworthy to mention that the last position was achieved without the services of Ivan Toney for the final four months of the season due to a ban for violating gambling regulations.
Despite Brentford’s current standing of ninth with 13 points, Frank’s tactical adaptability has been impressive, alternating between a three-man and regular defence. His team is the most recent to conquer Manchester City at their home ground in a 2-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium in November 2022.
Pep Guardiola praised Frank after City’s 2-1 defeat to Brentford in September, stating that his move to a larger club was a matter of time.
Other possible replacements for Ten Hag include Sporting’s Rúben Amorim and Xavi, the ex-Barcelona coach who is currently not employed. Amorin, however, seems to be keen on remaining with the Portuguese champions to claim their second consecutive title. As for Xavi, it seems that Manchester United has yet to establish any formal relationship, and he’s viewed as a long shot at most.
Manchester United decided to remove Ten Hag following a poor start to the Premier League season, which included a 2-1 loss at West Ham on Sunday. Sitting in the 14th place in the division, United is just seven points clear from the relegation zone after managing to note just eight goals in nine league games. The United hierarchy felt the performance on the field left no room for excuses and decided to sever ties with Ten Hag, notifying him of their decision on Monday morning.
The former United player, Ruud van Nistelrooy, has temporarily assumed the position of first team coach following his appointment to the coaching staff over the summer. He will manage the team’s upcoming match against Leicester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, and is set to work closely with other longstanding members of United’s team.
The club confirmed Erik ten Hag’s departure as the manager of Manchester United men’s first team. Despite leading the team to secure the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in the following year after his appointment in April 2022, Ten Hag’s future with the club was sealed after United managed only a draw against José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the Europa League. Ten Hag’s position was under scrutiny after the club struggled with only four victories in 13 games of the current season.
United failed to see any clear improvement even though Ten Hag was given time to synergise with the newly appointed sporting director, Dan Ashworth, and technical director, Jason Wilcox. The intention was to maintain some degree of continuity during a time of significant change in the club.
The decision by Ratcliffe and his partners is considered of high importance, especially since the investment by Ratcliffe’s company Ineos. United ended the previous season in eighth place, the worst since 1990.
Despite the United CEO, Omar Berrada, and Ashworth expressing support for Ten Hag at the beginning of September, reports circulate that his strategies were under close review. Ten Hag managed to keep his position after United’s victory in the FA Cup final against Manchester City last year, despite facing serious pressure. However, his time with the club has now ended after discussions with multiple potential replacements.
Names such as Thomas Tuchel came up as possible contenders, but Tuchel eliminated himself from the running and subsequently took up the position as the head coach for the national team of England. Other contenders ranged from Frank to Gareth Southgate, ex-manager for England.
Ten Hag, having left Ajax, was appointed to follow the acting manager Ralf Rangnick at United for the 2022-23 season. In a momentary demonstration of support by Ratcliffe, the Dutchman earned a contract lasting until June 2025, which was extended for an additional year in summer.
Once his contract was extended, Ten Hag was given the green light in the transfer market. He brought in Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee, and Manuel Ugarte for impressive fees, though none have really found their footing since their arrival. There was a general concern over Ten Hag’s signings, illustrated by the €100 million spent on Antony’s disastrous transfer from Ajax.
In Ten Hag’s first season, United managed to secure third place being 14 points down from the top and emerged victorious in the Carabao Cup, defeating Newcastle in the finale. – Guardian