And so it remains quiet. Manchester United‘s executive committee have held talks, but as yet, there are no suggestions that Erik ten Hag is set to join the ever-growing list of managers to have faced the axe in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
There was so much progress in year one, a third-place finish and a Carabao Cup success, with Alejandro Garnacho emerging and Marcus Rashford looking reborn after netting 30 times in all competitions. Were United coming back?
No, frankly, is the answer to that question, with year two providing a car crash of a campaign, resulting in the club’s worst-ever Premier League finish. A triumph at Wembley, however, served as a more than adequate sticking plaster and a reminder of what the Dutchman could achieve in the dugout.
The 54-year-old had cried injuries last season – and rightly so – but after another summer of heavy spending and with largely a fully fit squad at his disposal, the excuses have run dry. There is nowhere left to turn.
This is Ten Hag’s team, and on current evidence, it simply isn’t a very good one. The Red Devils find themselves languishing in 14th after their poorest start to a Premier League season. The records just keep tumbling.
A week of chaos in Porto but relative calm at Villa Park has provided more confusion than clarity over the former Ajax man’s future. Now the question remains as to how many United execs does it take to change a lightbulb? Or sorry, rather how many United execs does it take to change a manager?
Man Utd’s manager search
Is it Sir Jim Ratcliffe? Is it Omar Berrada? Is it Dan Ashworth? Quite who will be the man to pull the trigger at Old Trafford remains to be seen, with the club’s new boardroom gaggle now facing a pivotal week to contemplate just what to do with their floundering manager and his team.
If recent reports are to be believed, candidates are already being lined up, with Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst reporting earlier this week that out-of-work boss, Thomas Tuchel, is under consideration.
That has been backed up by talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, who also threw another contender into the mix who is already operating in the Premier League – Thomas Frank.
It is believed that the Brentford boss has ‘admirers’ at the Theatre of Dreams and could come into the equation, having also been linked with the Chelsea vacancy over the summer, prior to Enzo Maresca’s appointment.
Thomas Frank’s record vs Ten Hag
On the face of it, there may be those who would see the hiring of the Dane as rather uninspiring, considering that he has only thus far managed Brondby and the Bees at senior level.
Vocal United content creator, Mark Goldbridge, is among those to have voiced his opposition to the 51-year-old in recent times, as he stated that the club wouldn’t be that “stupid” to turn to a manager who “thrives on 30% possession and counters.”
In truth, it would be stupid not to consider Frank amid the work he has done in the capital in recent years, having steered Brentford into the top flight and kept them there with relative ease for three seasons.
He may not be a glamorous name – nor play the tippy tappy type of football of the likes of Maresca, as Goldbridge alluded to – but boy is Frank’s approach effective. As shown above, he’s also not one to mince his words…
Ten Hag himself has no doubt come unstuck against the west Londoners in recent years, memorably seeing his side ship four goals at the Gtech Community Stadium back in August 2022, as the rampant hosts piled the pressure on the new United boss.
United did win the next two meetings between the two sides, although it took a desperate double from Scott McTominay last October at the death to seal a 2-1 triumph.
That was followed by a 1-1 draw in March in which the Red Devils were simply overrun, even despite taking an initial lead through Mason Mount, with the home side attempting 31 shots to United’s 11, while their xG of 3.29 was also far ahead of the visitors 0.59, as per Sofascore.
|
Brentford 1-1 Man Utd – March 2024 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Brentford |
Man Utd |
|
Possession |
47% |
53% |
|
xG |
3.29 |
0.59 |
|
Big chances |
6 |
2 |
|
Total shots |
31 |
11 |
|
Goalkeeper saves |
4 |
4 |
|
Fouls |
7 |
14 |
|
Corners |
14 |
4 |
|
Passes |
377 |
450 |
|
Tackles |
16 |
14 |
|
Free kicks |
14 |
7 |
Yes, Frank’s methods may not be conventional, but he has found a way of playing that can prove almost unplayable, as indicated by his side’s quick starts so far this season, having scored inside the first minute in three successive league games, prior to last weekend.
With Brentford also currently ahead of United in the table – despite Ten Hag’s £600m spend over the last two years or so – it provides further evidence of what Frank can do and just why he could represent an upgrade on the under-fire Dutchman.
With Ten Hag seemingly possessing “no playing style” – as per his compatriot, Rene Meulensteen – the former Denmark youth coach would, at the very least, arrive with a plan in mind.
Such an appointment may not go down well with everyone – including the likes of Goldbridge – but having consistently gone down the route of high profile managers, perhaps a final roll of the dice is needed with someone who has proven his worth in the Premier League already.
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Let’s just hope it doesn’t end up being David Moyes 2.0…
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