At the end of the current campaign, Erik ten Hag is expected to depart Manchester United, and a current player has reportedly been named as his replacement.
Erik ten Hag the head coach / manager of Manchester United walks off at full time during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford. (Image: Getty Images)
According to reports, one of Manchester United’s current players has made reference to Erik ten Hag’s possible successor. Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has suggested that England manager Gareth Southgate might be the man to take over.
It’s believed by the team that Ten Hag might not stay in charge past this season, according to McAteer, who declined to name the player. It has been a difficult second season for the Dutch manager, and it appears that it will conclude with a worse result than third place from the previous year.
After losing to Arsenal at home, United’s prospects of earning a spot in Europe are now in doubt. If they lose their next game against Newcastle, they will need to win the FA Cup final against Manchester City in order to go to Europe the following season.
United’s recent defeat also saw them set an unfavorable record, which raised questions about Ten Hag’s role. Although he is not expected to make an official announcement about his future until after the FA Cup final, McAteer has revealed details from an interview with a United player that point to the possibility of an impending managerial change.
“He plays for Man United and I had a conversation with him on Friday, I bumped into him because I live just outside the area,” McAteer said, recalling his encounter, as The Mail reported. He then went on to discuss the specifics on beIN Sports.
We struck up a conversation, great lad, and I asked him what he thought about the end of the season and he gave me no indication that the manager would be sticking around. In fact, we discussed several names and potential candidates, and I received no inclination from him.”
Under pressure from host Richard Keys, McAteer seemed to suggest that the player’s positive response had come from Southgate. “Footballers have an inclination when the manager’s job is on the line and they obviously know and I just got the feeling that it’s done, it’s done,” he stated.
Later, McAteer made an effort to elucidate his remarks on social media. “First of all, not a single Manchester United player told me anything. and he didn’t reveal what he believed—instead, he just smiled in response to my query,” he asserted.
“I came to my conclusion based only on my own assumptions. Oh, and perhaps the performances and outcomes for Manchester United.”
In response to the recent rumors that he was considering a job at United, Southgate stated that speculation about his future will not be a distraction before Euro 2024. He said, “Well, for me, it’s not an issue and never has been,” to the BBC.
“I have to ensure that England has a successful tournament, and that requires a lot of work. Everyone would probably assume that’s where I should concentrate. There will always be conjecture regarding managers because, should you lose a few games, you are in trouble; should you win a few, the situation changes.
However, I see Euro 2024 as a fantastic opportunity. We’re excited about the upcoming competition. My main concern is how to advance past where we were at the previous Euros.”
Ten Hag has also discussed the conjecture surrounding his own prospects. After the defeat to Arsenal, he remarked, “Any manager can do better but also I am two years here and I have one time had a full group of players.”
We attempt to do this because it’s like swimming with your hands on your back and having to keep your head above the water; you can’t advance a team in certain critical areas with so many injuries.
“The cup final is still ongoing. This is beneficial. However, a team needs fit players if it is to advance, and as you can see from our opponent today, they only had one player who wasn’t 100% match fit, while we had a ton.”
“Reactions bother me, but being a Man United player means you have to be there and on point all the time. However, in the event that it occurs, a response is required, and the players provided it.”
