Next Man Utd manager odds: Gareth Southgate and Ruud Van Nistelrooy leading contenders

The likes of Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick have all tried to raise United from the Ashes… all to no avail.

Erik ten Hag is the current man trusted with returning the club to its former glory. Unfortunately for the Dutchman, he oversaw United’s worst ever Premier League campaign during his last season in charge.

To make matters worse, the new season has got off to a bit of a stinker. A narrow 1-0 win over Fulham was followed up with defeats to Brighton and arch-rivals Liverpool. 

A confident win over Southampton slightly improved Ten Hag's position. Nevertheless, we take a look at a list of possible replacements. 

 

Gareth Southgate - 2/1

The former England manager is the current front runner to replace Ten Hag at Old Trafford.

On paper, Southgate was the second most successful England manager of all time, leading the nation to two European Championship finals.

Despite his impressive tournament record, its fair to say there’s not much appetite for Southgate. While his record is undeniable, England’s style of football was simply dreadful – especially at Euro 2024.

While Southgate would undoubtedly relish a top managerial job, the fans will be far from inspired by his selection.

 

Ruud Van Nistelrooy - 4/1

Former Man Utd striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy finds himself second on the list.

The Dutchman spent five seasons at the club in the early 2000s and was a prolific goalscorer, finding the back of the net 150 times in over 200 appearances.

Van Nistelrooy took PSV Eindhoven to two trophies during his last managerial run. He is currently working as assistant to Erik ten Hag and would likely step in on a temporary basis should United opt to pull the trigger.

 

Mauricio Pochettino - 5/2

The former Tottenham and Chelsea boss is next in line for the Old Trafford hot seat.

Unlike Southgate, Mauricio Pochettino has a lot more experience when it comes to managing in the Premier League.

The Argentine’s last job was at Stamford Bridge as he took Chelsea back into European football.

The Blues were in a complete mess when Pochettino arrived, and while it took his a long time to put the pieces together, Chelsea didn’t look like a bad side by the end of last season.

Let’s not forget, Poch also took Tottenham to a Champions League final. Taking Spurs to any final is an unprecedented feat, never mind the biggest tournament in the sport.

 

Kieran McKenna - 6/1

After taking Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions, it’s no surprise to see Kieran McKenna ranked as third favourite for the Man Utd job.

Some would suggest that McKenna lacks experience and considering he is just 38-years-old, that may be true.

Though taking Ipswich from League One to the Premier League in two and a half seasons is no mean feat.

What’s more, McKenna has previously worked at Man Utd as assistant manager to Mourinho, Solskjaer and Rangnick.

 

Thomas Tuchel - 9/1

Here’s a candidate who would certainly excite the Man Utd faithful.

Thomas Tuchel has managed some of the biggest clubs in the world including Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea.

His last job was at Bayern Munich which ended on a sour note. Then again, the club had won 11 straight Bundesliga titles and were due some kind of a dip.

Tuchel is currently without a job and find himself fourth on the list of potential Man Utd managers.