May 13th 2024.
Gareth Southgate's name has been circulating in the media as a potential candidate for the Manchester United manager position. According to former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer, at least one player from the team is expecting Southgate to replace current manager Erik ten Hag this summer.
The speculation around ten Hag's future at Old Trafford has only intensified after United's 1-0 defeat against Arsenal on Sunday, putting their chances of European football next season in jeopardy. The club has already been linked with several managers, including Thomas Tuchel who is set to depart from Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
However, McAteer claims to have spoken with a member of United's squad last week, who believes that the club's new ownership will make a move for Southgate once England's Euro 2024 campaign is over. "I won't name names because I don't want to reveal his identity, but I bumped into him last Friday as I live near the area," McAteer shared on beIN Sports.
"We got into conversation and he gave me no indication that the current manager will stay. In fact, we even discussed potential candidates for the job and he didn't give me any hint. When I mentioned Tuchel's name, he just smiled," McAteer added.
When asked if Jose Mourinho's name was brought up, McAteer replied with a simple "no." However, when Gareth Southgate's name was mentioned, the player reportedly gave a positive reaction, with McAteer saying, "Yeah, that was the name."
McAteer then went on to explain that footballers generally have a sense of when their manager's job is on the line, and he just got the feeling that it's a done deal. Meanwhile, former United player Gary Neville believes that ten Hag should be given one more season to prove himself at the club.
"I don't see any suitable replacements for ten Hag available at the moment. Even Bayern Munich is struggling to find a replacement. I think we should stick with ten Hag for one more season, with a fully fit team, and see if we can get back to the level of last season when we won a trophy and finished in the top four," Neville said on Sky Sports.
He also believes that there is something fundamentally wrong at the club that is causing difficulties for both players and managers. However, with new ownership and personnel, there is hope that things will start to improve eventually, as it always does in football.
Neville concluded by saying, "As sure as the sun will rise, Manchester United will start winning again. It might not be guaranteed, but these things go in cycles." So, while the future remains uncertain for ten Hag and United, there is still hope for the club to turn things around in the near future.
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