It is not official that Erik ten Hag will be staying put at Manchester United for next season, but it is looking likelier and likelier by the day. Yesterday we learned Thomas Tuchel was screened for the position, but ultimately it is not a good fit for either side. Today we learned that both Mauricio Pochettino (who has been linked with the club for what feels like forever) and Gareth Southgate are both no goes.
Given that the pool of candidates was shallow to begin with, and now that you have the top three candidates out of the running, well, then who is actually left?
? David Ornstein: “Erik ten Hag is the second most successful manager in country behind Pep Guardiola.”
— Stretford Post (@StretfordPost) June 11, 2024
United could still hire an obscure guy, or a young up-and-comer, but it is not likely at this point. Roberto de Zerbi doesn’t seem like a viable option either. And transfer guru David Ornstein put it, in the embedded tweet above, you already have something substantial in place. The Athletic columnist is correct, Ten Hag is the second most successful manager in England, behind Pep Guardiola.
“Dance with the girl that brought you,” as they say.
So why are Pochettino and Southgate ruled out?
Let’s start with Poch, according to The Times, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his underlings have cooled their interest. As for Southgate, he is making headlines all over the football universe today, for saying that he might get sacked by England if they don’t win Euro 2024 and end the nation’s egregiously well-documented 58 year trophy drought.
Although it is still thought that the English FA want him to stay, beyond the realization of his contract, no matter what the result of the tournament that commences this weekend.
However, the timing is bad, for all involved, and it is not going to happen. The Daily Mail has more.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.