Erik ten Hag’s debut season as Manchester United manager was remarkable, as the team finished third and won the Carabao Cup. However, the team’s performance in 2023–24 has drastically declined.

United has only collected 50 points from their 12 Premier League losses thus far this season, placing them last in their Champions League group.

According to Opta Joe, United remarkably gave up the most goals by a Premier League team during the group stage—15.dabo-dalot-man-collected Ten Hag’s team is presently sixth in the Premier League, despite their poor performance.

With 37 projected points, United should be in 13th place, eight points above the relegation zone, according to Understat. Long-running reports suggest that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United’s new minority owner with a 27.7% ownership stake, may try to hire a new manager before the 2024–2025 campaign begins.

Numerous names have been mentioned in reports; one of them is Ruben Amorim, who appears destined for Liverpool despite his denials of accepting personal terms. One former Premier League manager, though, may have a chance to land one of the top positions in club football after winning the Champions League with his former team.

In England, a manager with something to prove German manager Thomas Tuchel is not a lock to take over at Manchester United for the upcoming campaign, according to Caught Offside.

Brus claims that United “likes” “experienced” managers like Tuchel. Since Tuchel is scheduled to depart Bayern Munich this summer, United would not have to pay a release clause, saving the Red Devils money, and would also have free reign to pursue the German manager.bundesliga, Bayern Munich, Thomas Tuchel, and Tuchel seems to be trying to make a point, for sure.

After winning the Champions League in 2021, he was fired by Chelsea in 2022 and relocated to Bayern Munich. Tuchel’s time at the Allianz Arena has not been successful; following Bayer Leverkusen’s decisive end to their 11-year domination, they were unable to win the Bundesliga.

Nevertheless, Tuchel’s Bayern team defeated Ten Hag twice this season in the Champions League group stages—at Old Trafford at the Allianz Arena. Given that Tuchel is available and that Ten Hag may be fired next summer without a release clause to put the German in jeopardy, United may be able to take advantage of this opportunity. How Man United can use Tuchel’s style How, then, did Tuchel prepare his Chelsea team for victory, and how would it apply to United? After taking over an underperforming squad, the German manager led them to the FA Cup final and the Champions League title in a matter of months.

Tuchel basically achieved this by having a physically strong and athletic squad that could counterattack quickly and directly, use wingbacks for maximum width. Under Tuchel, Chelsea’s defence was strong and well-practiced, which helped to thwart counterattacks—a problem under Lampard. In a September 2011 YouTube video, JJ Bull of The Atheltic clarified, “If there is a turnover and they have to get back, they are back immediately.” To make sure they weren’t leaving their defenders vulnerable, they therefore needed to have a fit and athletic team in order to get players back. Under Tuchel, Chelsea attacked using their wingbacks to create as much width as possible and positional rotations to open up space behind them for straight and vertical passes. Attacking players would drop deep during these rotations to pull defenders along with them and open up space for teammates behind the defence. Connecting this to Manchester United, a few elements of Tuchel’s Chelsea-inspired system come together. Playing the same position he did at Stamford Bridge, Mount is an obvious one. The former Chelsea player might potentially be a nice fit playing next to captain Bruno Fernandes. Tuchel would also like a striker with Rasmus Hojlund’s profile, making him a smart choice at centre forward. With his ability to carry the ball from the centre backs and advance play, Kobbie Mainoo would be a perfect fit for the role Mateo Kovacic played under Tuchel. Andre Onana is a clear choice for the goal.Mainoo, Man, United, Premier League Kobbie But there are undoubtedly several positions that United needs to focus on. To improve their team and match Tuchel’s coaching philosophy, they would probably need to add a new fullback at the very least. They should also aim to add players at centre back and in midfield. Tuchel’s Chelsea were a team who loved to hold the ball despite their direct style. With 62.3% of the total possession in the Premier League in 2021/22, they ranked third. According to Sofascore, only Manchester City (68.2%) and Liverpool (63.2%) had more than the Blues had in 2021/22.Giroud, Tuchel, Chelsea, Premier League Under Ten Hag, Manchester United has had difficulty holding onto the ball for extended periods of time this season. At barely 50%, they rank ninth in the Premier League, according to Sofascore. It is therefore reasonable to argue that Tuchel’s high-possession style of play simply requires players of a higher calibre than what United has to offer. But it’s important to remember that, according to Sofascore, they had the sixth-highest percentage in the Premier League during Ten Hag’s first season in charge—53.8%. This season, we have also frequently witnessed United’s players—especially in midfield—appearing worn out and unable to cover the vast amounts of open space. Tuchel would undoubtedly put pressure on his team to recover swiftly in order to assist prevent counterattacks, which they may find difficult to execute. He would not, of course, be so careless as to allow large gaps in midfield.bundesliga, Bayern Munich, Thomas Tuchel, and (2) If the German were to take over at Old Trafford, it would be interesting to watch what transfers he makes and how he would use United’s current roster. Tuchel, who has been struggling recently, is undoubtedly a fantastic manager; in 2020, Fabrizio Romano on X called him “incredible.” It remains to be seen if and how he would perform in his role as Manchester United manager, but he would undoubtedly have much to prove at Old Trafford.