ERIK TEN HAG appears to have avoided the chopping block at Manchester United, at least for now.
A SEVEN-HOUR meeting with club chiefs on Tuesday came to an end with no movement on the future of the United boss despite the intense pressure and speculation surrounding him.
However, the pursuit of other possible targets took a twist on Friday after it was reported that Thomas Tuchel was in talks for the England job.
Tuchel, 51, has been heavily linked with replacing Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
But according to Bild, he could now replace Gareth Southgate as the Three Lions’ next permanent head coach.
Southgate himself played down his links to the Red Devils’ job by saying he would be taking a full year out of work.
And that has left the pool of potential successors to Ten Hag even more drained than it was in the summer.
SunSport have looked at six options who could still be considered if Ten Hag’s time at United does ultimately come to a mid-season end.
Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter has been without a job since he was sacked by the Blues, but was known for his fluid brand of football and development of young players at the Seagulls, elements United want to champion.
However, he directly addressed the speculation when appearing on Sky Sports last month, saying: “I am the only coach in world football to be linked with Stoke City and Napoli in the same week. I have had lots of conversations with lots of people and I think out of respect to those people it’s best those are kept private.”
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A coach at Man Utd during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s time in charge, McKenna made his first move into management with Ipswich and has impressed ever since by getting them promoted to the top flight.
He was consequently linked with a move to another club in the summer, but snubbed interest by signing a new contract. There are concerns whether he would be ready to take on the mammoth United job anyway.
Inter Milan manager Inzaghi is reported to have already rejected an approach from Man Utd.
He was viewed as an ideal candidate given his experience at the top level and previous success, leading the Italians to the Serie A title, two Coppa Italias and a Champions League final.
Sporting Lisbon manager Amorim has caught the eye of many of Europe’s top sides as a potential new boss.
Fresh reports have linked him with a move to Old Trafford should Ten Hag leave, with his Portuguese connections set to do wonders for the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot.
Frank has long been praised for how well he has done with Brentford, in terms of buying into their recruitment plan and getting the best out of players on the pitch.
Indeed, Pep Guardiola said it was only a “question of time” before he lands a job at one of European football’s powerhouses.
Like Inzaghi and Potter on this list, Ruud van Nistelrooy seems to have squashed rumours about taking over the Man Utd job, with reports suggesting he does not want to betray Ten Hag.
However, in the event Ten Hag is let go, Van Nistelrooy is likely to be offered the job at least on an interim basis. He impressed as a manager for PSV.
