Who replaces Ten Hag?

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If ten Hag is to be replaced at the end of the season the logical pick for me is De Zerbi.

His style of play has Brighton pressing, creating chances and scoring goals at the level of an elite team. He’s doing that without elite players in most positions. It’s also not a fluke, because even before his success in the Premier League, he was able to do very similar work with Sassuolo in Serie A. He’s spoken openly about using his method to increase players confidence in their own ability and claims that’s why he’s not needed elite players to make it work. This is something that will be important for any United manager because we have lots of crap players whose confidence is shot. He also appears to be a coach who is just happy to be given a group of players to work with and doesnt appear to be demanding increased control over transfers.

It’s also helpful that his former assistant is the manager of Nice. The success Nice are having this season is further proof that the fundamentals of De Zerbis style are transferable. It’s also good for United that INEOS already have enough knowledge of De Zerbis principles to have been able to recruit players which suit his style. Having both clubs in the INEOS football group play similar systems will benefit both clubs in terms of scouting, recruitment and player development.

Whilst he doesnt have a long list of silverware to his name its not unreasonable to think that marrying his style with the elite level footballers Manchester United’s finances are able to attract, we’ll at the very least be entertaining to watch. We’ve seen over the last 10 years that the silverware on a managers CV has made no difference to their ability to succeed at United, so its not something that should count against him.

His performance at Brighton has brought him enough respect within the league that I don’t think the players would look down on him in the same way they did with Moyes or might do with Potter. He doesnt have the links with rivals that Alonso has, so there’s no real reason for the fans to be against his appointment either. He’s more experienced that McKenna or Carrick and has been popular enough with the media that they wouldn’t try to tear him down immediately like they did with ten Hag.
 
Haven't seen Flick brought up. Brilliant transformation of bayern, failed with Germany though.
 
StiffTackle said:
If ten Hag is to be replaced at the end of the season the logical pick for me is De Zerbi.

His style of play has Brighton pressing, creating chances and scoring goals at the level of an elite team. He’s doing that without elite players in most positions. It’s also not a fluke, because even before his success in the Premier League, he was able to do very similar work with Sassuolo in Serie A. He’s spoken openly about using his method to increase players confidence in their own ability and claims that’s why he’s not needed elite players to make it work. This is something that will be important for any United manager because we have lots of crap players whose confidence is shot. He also appears to be a coach who is just happy to be given a group of players to work with and doesnt appear to be demanding increased control over transfers.

It’s also helpful that his former assistant is the manager of Nice. The success Nice are having this season is further proof that the fundamentals of De Zerbis style are transferable. It’s also good for United that INEOS already have enough knowledge of De Zerbis principles to have been able to recruit players which suit his style. Having both clubs in the INEOS football group play similar systems will benefit both clubs in terms of scouting, recruitment and player development.

Whilst he doesnt have a long list of silverware to his name its not unreasonable to think that marrying his style with the elite level footballers Manchester United’s finances are able to attract, we’ll at the very least be entertaining to watch. We’ve seen over the last 10 years that the silverware on a managers CV has made no difference to their ability to succeed at United, so its not something that should count against him.

His performance at Brighton has brought him enough respect within the league that I don’t think the players would look down on him in the same way they did with Moyes or might do with Potter. He doesnt have the links with rivals that Alonso has, so there’s no real reason for the fans to be against his appointment either. He’s more experienced that McKenna or Carrick and has been popular enough with the media that they wouldn’t try to tear him down immediately like they did with ten Hag.
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My worry with Dezerbi is Brighton are poor defensively. Although that could be due to too much turnover in the players.
 
DJ_21 said:
Whenever we get a new manager we have 1 decent season and then go back to being shite. Fergie covered up so many cracks. We’re not even a top team anymore. Fergie made us get to the top. Them days are long gone. We’ll never win the league again. We’re a mid table team at best. Anything higher than that and we’ve overachieved.
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Unfortunately it will be like this until the scouting and recruiting structures and Dof roles are revamped and sorted out.

The next manager after ETH will likely go through the same old cycle
 
There's some interesting options, but it's hard to look past De Zerbi really in terms of excitement. Logical choice would be somebody like Ancelotti. But De Zerbi has a much depleted Brighton motoring on. You look at their team over the last month or two and they're not of the quality of last season, yet the gameplay is still there, they can still turn over the best teams in the league on their day.

He's doing an amazing job really.
 
The current problem cannot be fixed by any manager. Our structure, where the manager holds all the buying power, is dysfunctional. The current administration is completely broken, we urgently require a new transfer panel administration to address these issues. Our transfer selections and fees have been alarmingly poor. Moreover, we need better negotiators as players we've recently purchased now cost only a fraction of their transfer fee.
 
pocco said:
There's some interesting options, but it's hard to look past De Zerbi really in terms of excitement. Logical choice would be somebody like Ancelotti. But De Zerbi has a much depleted Brighton motoring on. You look at their team over the last month or two and they're not of the quality of last season, yet the gameplay is still there, they can still turn over the best teams in the league on their day.

He's doing an amazing job really.
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Unfortunately I think we will be priced out of move for De Zerbi, Brighton are hard negotiators and would demand king's ransom to release Ze Derbi unless he has a reasonable clause I just don't see United paying big to get him in summer .
 
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Red_Orchestra said:
The current problem cannot be fixed by any manager. Our structure, where the manager holds all the buying power, is dysfunctional. The current administration is completely broken, we urgently require a new transfer panel administration to address these issues. Our transfer selections and fees have been alarmingly poor. Moreover, we need better negotiators as players we've recently purchased now cost only a fraction of their transfer fee.
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INEOS have just come in and are going to address this before the next summer window, but the manager still needs to go.
 
Skills said:
The way to actually do it is, just hire the best manager to get the most out of the squad you've got. Then go and sign players for the type of football you want to play, and just sack the manager and get a different one to fit the composition of your evolving squad. You may need a new manager every season or 18 months, to fit the squad you have at any given time.

Managers are cheap and disposable. Players are expensive, tied down to long term contracts and have FFP related implications with their transfers. So you chop and change the one most dispensable part of the operation and that is your head coach.
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You do know it costs millions in compensation to get shot of a manager mid contract, then if you poach one from another club, it costs millions in compensation again. United don't have millions to chuck away.
 
Jean Claude Blanc is a friend of Zidane, and tried to recruit him at PSG. I think Zidane will be top of the list and could be tempted if we have the right structure in place, the same way Pep was courted by City who basically created the structure Pep wanted.
 
pocco said:
There's some interesting options, but it's hard to look past De Zerbi really in terms of excitement. Logical choice would be somebody like Ancelotti. But De Zerbi has a much depleted Brighton motoring on. You look at their team over the last month or two and they're not of the quality of last season, yet the gameplay is still there, they can still turn over the best teams in the league on their day.

He's doing an amazing job really.
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Yes he's doing an amazing job, one place and one point below us, FFS he's not the man, neither is Potter
 
LARulz said:
Just not Potter
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Potter has a worse points per game ratio than EtH, he also took Chelsea on a one way trip to the bottom of the table, practically turned them into Brighton overnight, no wonder they got shot of him
 
I’ve voted for him sacked but I’d wait until a few injuries return and see does things improve . I can’t see him in the job for the start of next season though. His signings alone are a sackable offence and some of his tactical / squad selections are off the chart
 
Matt Varnish said:
Potter has a worse points per game ratio than EtH, he also took Chelsea on a one way trip to the bottom of the table, practically turned them into Brighton overnight, no wonder they got shot of him
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In all competitions, Potter's is actually better.

Potter - 31 games - 1.42ppg - GD +1
Ten Hag this season - 28 games - 1.36ppg - GD -8
 
r0663664 said:
Recruitment and structure will be hopefully sorted out when Ineos team comes in. Football is about joy for fans and obviously Erik is providing a roller coaster ride which most do not enjoy. Ineos should be talking to Steve if he is willing to do an interim job until a new manager is identified. Once Steve agrees, sack Erik immediately and start recruiting process. Hopefully we get someone in in Feb or March, this person has a opportunity to manage actual training sesseions and the last 4-6 games of the season therefore giving him an opportunity identify what positions need to be replaced and Ineos to find those targets. Giving everyone sufficient time to get in new players, get rid of deadwood and go thru pre-season. Sacking Erik at the end of the season doesn't give the new manager any opportunity to assess the players and it will set us back again. Just do it!
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That makes sense, only issue is that all would be decent candidates, like De Zerbi or Alonso, are in jobs already and we face a monumental task to convince them to come here in the summer let alone during the run in where league positions and trophies are settled. Unless we are deciding to bring in Flick or Nagelsmann but I don't see it, I think INEOS would go for someone in the PL or take a chance on Carrick, Mckena or Potter.
 
I heard Adam alana talking about Dezerbi on talk sport radio a couple of days ago. He was swooning over how great De zerbi is. His training, management and enthusiasm for the game. All the players are on board and love the guy. Alana accepted at some point a bigger club would come in for him but atm De zerbi is fully committed and loves Brighton and has no ambition to move..
The big question is can De zerbi get a tune out of our team of cant be arsed on most days prima donors.
 
I’d love Bielsa at United. Forget he’s managed Leeds but look at what he did for them and how good their football was before injuries hit them hard. He’s take zero shit and would not be having performances that Rashford and Bruno put it. Antony would be nowhere near the first team. His international contract probably wouldn’t be too much to buy out if he was interested.
 
Matt Varnish said:
You do know it costs millions in compensation to get shot of a manager mid contract, then if you poach one from another club, it costs millions in compensation again. United don't have millions to chuck away.
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His point is sound though. If we sack EtH, we will pay around 10m for him (and maybe a couple of extra millions to his staff). We can get a de Zerbi or Alonso for 10-15m (if the manager wants to leave, no sane club would force him to stay).

Combined, that is Dalot money. Or half an AWB. Or a third of Sancho. Or a quarter of Antony/Maguire. Relatively speaking, compared to players, managers are cheap and disposable. Which is why most big clubs prefer firing managers rather than buying a full new squad to underperforming managers. Of course, as always, United knows better and does the opposite.
 
golden_blunder said:
How can he when he is going to be the CEO?
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In case it was not a WUM, it is not the same Blanc. The CEO guy is a businessman who among other things was chairman of Juventus and now is CEO of Ineos sport.

(actually when I first heard the name, thought that it was Laurent Blanc).
 
If we looking at De Zerbi, surely we have to wait till the end of the season. Zidane too won’t be tempted until we have the structure in place , which does not happen until end of the season once ineos is finalized and takes over management.
mclaren with giggs might be the only interim we might have. Or what’s hiddink doing these days ?
 
1st step: Define a philosophy/ an idea of football, which Manchester United should work with
2nd step: Define which tactics fit this philosophy / idea.
3rd step: Implement this idea, these tactics into every development and recruiting process in the club.
4th step: Start scouting managers, who fit the philosophy / idea and sign the best fit.
5th step: Listen to his wishes, compare them with the scouting reports and the club's needs, which are based on the club's philosophy.
6th step: Offer the manager a list of players, which fit the club and his needs.
7th step: The manager selects his preferred players from this list.
8th step: The DoF tries to sign the players.

We start talking about the 5th step, have no idea about the step 1 to 4 and so one. The club should focus on a concept and a strategy, after this, we should have an idea, which manager fits best.
 
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AneRu said:
That makes sense, only issue is that all would be decent candidates, like De Zerbi or Alonso, are in jobs already and we face a monumental task to convince them to come here in the summer let alone during the run in where league positions and trophies are settled. Unless we are deciding to bring in Flick or Nagelsmann but I don't see it, I think INEOS would go for someone in the PL or take a chance on Carrick, Mckena or Potter.
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When United comes calling, I think De Zerbi would likely listen. It is hard to turn down an opportunity from a big club. City will stick with Pep, Liverpool with Klopp, Chelsea will stick with Poch, Arsenal definitely with Arteta. Even with FPP, United will always be more transfer budget than Brighton. Brighton is a selling club, any good players will be sold for money. He would be stupid not to make the move to United. Yes, it is a risk but I think it is worth it. United is United, even he got sack, everyone knows it is not him but the club. If he does well, he is ready to join any club just as big.
 
Resch said:
We start talking about the 5th step, have no idea about the step 1 to 4 and so one. The club should focus on a concept and a strategy, after this, we should have an idea, which manager fits best.
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Completely. We can do so much of this stuff with ETH still there. Work out how the club and team should function, work out what players need to go and the top options to get in for each position, and a list of managers who could work with those players within that setup.
 
VP89 said:
Potter is a very good manager, I wouldn't be fooled by the Boehly circus when judging him.
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United is a circus also. Potter will do well in charge of a well ran club which United aren't same applies for De Zerbi.

As supporters we need to be realistic. INEOS haven't started yet and have a hell of a task on their hands to first steady this ship and then send it in the right direction.
 
Doubt Zidane would come here, his English isn't great and hasn't had a job in 3 years.

De Zerbi would cost a fortune to get out Brighton (who have a very good set up and have managers/players lined up to suit their style) and he's probably content to wait for the City job. Would he be able to cope with the pressure of rebuilding United?

Bielsa, the man's old and plays so open we'd get battered every week

We aren't an attractive proposition for managers like we used to be. Structure has to be defined first.
 
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