If there was any doubt about Erik ten Hag’s future before to Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday, it certainly is now.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe now left to pick up the pieces after an odd sequence of events, Saturday night marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Old Trafford circus.

This was not how he intended for his debut performance with United to go. With the 20-time English champions, optimism for a better future had swept the nation. Unfortunately, football rarely goes as planned.

United-1 Erik-Ten-Hag-Man
It left the Red Devils ten points behind Aston Villa in the fight for fourth place, a deficit that might grow if the Villans defeat Arsenal in Sunday’s late kickoff. This was the Red Devils’ fourth straight Premier League loss.

Ten Hag unexpectedly rushed out of his post-match news conference, demonstrating how obviously the strain was getting to him. Having, in Mark Goldbridge’s words, “thrown Garnacho under a bus” for some of his post-game remarks, he did so.

“It’s been one of our concerns, maybe [we need to] try to be more compact as a team – don’t try to make the gap between defenders and midfield too big,” full-back Diogo Dalot said, criticising the Dutchman’s style of play.


Thus, it’s not looking good for the former Ajax manager’s future in English football.

a suitable alternative for Erik ten Hag
In recent weeks, a number of potential replacements have been considered, including Graham Potter, the former Chelsea player, and Thiago Motta of Bologna, who is rumoured to be on the list.

Not many people in the northwest are going to be excited by that, given how the latter departed his position at Stamford Bridge. But the memory of Julian Nagelsmann could work.

The united Erik-ten-Hag man
Ratcliffe at Man United is reportedly growing more interested in the German manager, who scout Jacek Kulig referred to as “the coaching wonderkid” (TEAMtalk).

Nagelsmann is now in command of the German national team, therefore it seems doubtful that he will make a change until this summer’s European Championships are over.

The most recent, nevertheless, states that he has “received an offer” to start the upcoming Premier League season as the employee of an unidentified team. According to Sport1, that is.

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LINKED
Man Utd may select a “special” 2-7-2 system player to replace Ten Hag.
Man Utd is considering a manager whose formation is thought to be a 2-7-2.
What Man United may gain from having Julian Nagelsmann
The best teams have been talking about Nagelsmann for a number of years now.

The 36-year-old, who is currently serving in his first international role, spent nearly two successful seasons with Bayern Munich, winning the league in his first season before being let go.

Thomas Tuchel, the manager of the Spurs, Nagelsmann, Slot, Levy, Premier League, took over for him, and we all know how it turned out. For the first time in eleven years, Bayern has lost the Bundesliga, and until they win the Champions League, they run the possibility of finishing trophyless.

Therefore, it would appear that German success in the top division is not guaranteed, and Nagelsmann should be commended for his accomplishments there.

After all, reporter Josh Bunting named him the “best young coach in Europe” for a reason. Why is it the case? Despite his youth, he has been in the industry for about ten years.

When he took over in 2015, he was 28 years old and Hoffenheim’s youngest manager in history. He quickly established his value by helping the team qualify for the Champions League.

Nagelsmann, Santiago, Premier League, Tottenham, Bayern, Munich, Musiala
How does he do it, though? What philosophy and style does the young manager have?

That’s encouraging for resolving some of Man United’s most pressing problems, though. The youthful coach at Leipzig liked to play with little breadth. That could solve the absurd hole in the middle of the pitch, but it would not necessarily improve Marcus Rashford’s form.

For the whole season, United’s midfield has been problematic. While Jamie Redknapp has said that Casemiro ‘looks like he’s playing in Football Aid’ has been a key factor in the club’s demise, Kobbie Mainoo has emerged as a huge success. Opposing teams always apply pressure in central areas since he always appears fairly lanky.


According to the video above, “possession and domination key to success” and “overloading the centre is another favoured Nagelsmann tactic” are both important.

Primarily, Nagelsmann would require an improvement over Casemiro to implement his previously mentioned ‘high octane’ style of play.

It’s interesting to note that he appears to have high standards in the changing area as well. Ten Hag is not comparable in this regard. He’s already at odds with Jadon Sancho, and he may get into a verbal spat with Garnacho as well.

Gordon, Sancho, Borisov, and Dortmund
On the other hand, the German leader prefers to remain grounded. He once stated, “I don’t tell the players who’s starting [a match] until we’re in the stadium dressing room,” in an interview with the Bundesliga’s official channels.

“It keeps spirits up. Young players in especially run the risk of watching too much TV the night before since they’ll be thinking, “I’m not playing tomorrow.” I’m not the kind to call out players for their behaviour, but I also don’t want anything to leak out before to a game.”

He therefore upholds discipline, plays through the middle of the pitch, and is regarded as one of the best young managers in the business. Is there anything not to like? Even at Bayern, he’s handled the strain really well. Should Ratcliffe decide to choose a different path, this would be a suitable Ten Hag substitute.