October 28th 2024.
Former Manchester United player, Rio Ferdinand, has expressed disappointment with his former club for the timing of Erik ten Hag's sacking. According to Ferdinand, the club's owners may now be regretting not taking action sooner, as one of the top candidates to replace Ten Hag is no longer available.
Ten Hag was relieved of his duties on Monday, less than 24 hours after United's 2-1 loss to West Ham, which has left the team in 14th place in the Premier League. This marks the end of the Dutchman's time at Old Trafford, after just two and a half years. However, it is worth noting that his tenure lasted longer than many had expected, especially after reports emerged over the summer that he was close to being fired.
Following a disappointing finish of 8th place in the Premier League, United's new minority owners, INEOS, had interviewed potential replacements for Ten Hag. However, they ultimately decided to stick with him after he led the team to an FA Cup final victory over rivals Manchester City. One name that was heavily linked to the Red Devils was former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, who was available after leaving Bayern Munich.
As pressure continued to mount on Ten Hag, Tuchel remained a top candidate for the United job, until just two weeks ago when he was announced as the new England manager, replacing Gareth Southgate. Reacting to Ten Hag's sacking, Ferdinand expressed his belief that Tuchel was one of the best candidates for the job, and that INEOS may regret not making a move for him when they had the chance.
With Tuchel now out of the picture, interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is the early favorite to take over as United's next permanent manager. However, names like Thomas Frank, Gareth Southgate, Julian Nagelsmann, and Sporting boss Ruben Amorim are also being considered.
Ferdinand, who played with van Nistelrooy at United, believes that the former striker could do well in the role, given his familiarity with the club and the players. However, he also mentioned the possibility of former Barcelona manager Xavi taking over at Old Trafford. Ferdinand believes that someone like Xavi, who has a strong understanding of the club's DNA and a track record of introducing young players into the team, could be a great fit for United.
In the meantime, fans can expect to see more updates and analysis on Manchester United from this site, as well as exclusive news and interviews. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy, which is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
