Manchester United have been nothing short of appalling this season. Erik ten Hag’s side have won just four times, with two of those victories coming against the side who are second-bottom of the Premier League – Southampton – and League One side Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
Unsurprisingly, Ten Hag’s position as Red Devils boss has come under question of late. His side are currently sitting in an astonishing 12th in the Premier League on just 11 points and a goal difference of minus two.
In the event Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS board decide to remove the Dutchman from his position, there have been several managers linked with the post at Old Trafford.
The managers who could replace Ten Hag
Perhaps the most obvious candidate for the United job if Ten Hag was to be sacked would be Ruud van Nistelrooy. The former United striker was brought back to the club by his country at the start of the season.
Given his experience as manager of PSV Eindhoven and his position as assistant manager at Old Trafford, he has been linked with the job in the event of the United hierarchy changing manager.
The man whom the Red Devils missed out on was former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel. The German was heavily linked with the post in the summer, and talks were believed to have taken place once again. However, the FA beat INEOS in the race, and Tuchel is now England’s boss.
Thomas Frank is another option that the United board are reportedly considering. He has done a superb job in charge of Brentford, both in the Premier League and Championship. His tactical flexibility is seen as a huge draw, and he recently said in a press conference that a new job might be the “challenge I need”. It is certainly something to keep an eye on.
There are certainly some viable options for the Red Devils, although there is one manager that could be good to turn down. That manager is Simone Inzgahi.
Why Inzaghi would be a good appointment
Inter boss Inzaghi has gone from strength to strength in Milan. According to multiple reports, including one from The Daily Star at the end of September, he is a ‘serious contender’ for the hot seat at Old Trafford.
The Italian boasts a superb record at the helm of I Nerazzurri. So far during his time at the club, the 48-year-old has managed 169 games, getting 111 wins in that time, and suffering just 27 losses. It has been a very impressive tenure so far.
Stat
Number
Games
169
Wins
111
Draws
31
Losses
27
Goals for
335
Goals against
143
Inzaghi is a manager who favours a 3-5-2 system, placing great emphasis on his wingbacks to have a real licence to get forward and act as wingers when his side has the ball.
Playing this system, the Italian has masterminded some historic wins, although the best of the bunch may well have been the 5-1 victory over bitter rivals Milan.
Should the former attacker get the United job, United fans could finally see the best of striker Joshau Zirkzee. The Dutchman joined the club in the summer from Bologna for £36.5m, although he has just one goal to his name so far, a debut strike against Fulham.
United’s number 11 might well thrive under Inzaghi should he get the United job. The Dutchman, a self-professed 9.5, could excel in the Italian’s two-striker system. His game is built around dropping deep and linking up play, although that can leave the Red Devils short of a penalty box presence.
However, playing in a two alongside the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, a more traditional striker who operates well inside the box, could see Zirkzee thrive. United get the best of both worlds, having one of the number nines dropping deep, pulling defenders with him to link up play and vacate space, whilst also having someone in the box to get on the end of chances.
That type of combination proved fruitful last term as Inter romped to the title, with Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez scoring 37 Serie A goals between them as a fearsome front two at San Siro.
The Italian manager’s system could manage to extract the best out of the young striker, something Ten Hag simply has not managed to do so far. Playing in a front two alongside Hojlund certainly gets the best out of him on paper.
Inzaghi, described as a “supreme” boss by football scout Antonio Mango, could be the ideal candidate to replace Ten Hag.
Not only is he an excellent tactician and motivator, but his system might get the best out of United’s forwards in a season where they have scored just seven Premier League goals.
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ByBen BrowningOct 25, 2024