Erik ten Hag is under a lot of pressure after Manchester United’s poor start to the season, with Julen Lopetegui under consideration.
Manchester United were expected to challenge for the league title this season. Instead they find themselves around mid-table in the standings with just 12 points from eight outings. Naturally, the future of Erik ten Hag has been called into question, with Manchester United showing interest in Julen Lopetegui.
The 57-year-old has proven himself at the highest level, and he is admired by the Premier League club. Apparently, there is an outside chance of the former Real Madrid boss replacing the Dutchman as the club’s next manager as per Give Me Sport.
Dean Jones said, “There is a lot of talk around Erik ten Hag’s successor but what you have to look at is the fact that he was targeted ahead of a shortlist of bosses and that those top alternatives are now gone. Pochettino is at Chelsea, Luis Enrique is at PSG and perhaps the only manager you could look at now as someone we know they admire and that is currently out of work and wanting to be in the Premier League is Julen Lopetegui – but even then, we are talking about someone who was always an outsider to actually get the job. And when you look at the betting odds right now, he’s not even listed.”
“Ten Hag has been at United 18 months and to be honest while I know the trend right now is to talk about his exit and who could replace him, we’re probably more likely to see him sign a new contract at some stage than actually leave.”
The former Real Madrid manager will be excited to take over at one of the biggest clubs in the world. But it remains to be seen whether Manchester United are ready to cut ties with ten Hag in the coming months. If results do not improve soon, it would not be a surprise if the Dutchman might be shown the door.
Manchester United have spent significant sums of money on new signings, but ten Hag has not been able to get the best out of his players this season. The Red Devils certainly showed progress under him last year, managing to finish in the top three and secure Champions League qualification. They did well to win a domestic trophy as well.
Lopetegui certainly has the pedigree and experience to manage a big club like Manchester United and handle the pressure that comes with it. It will be interesting to see if Manchester United can bounce back strongly in their upcoming matches and help ten Hag hold on to his job further.
