Why Potter will be Ratcliffe’s first Man Utd manager
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 23 Oct 2023 08:02 BST
- 4 min read
Graham Potter is suddenly back in the frame for a major job just six months after being sacked by Chelsea, with Manchester United hovering over the Englishman.
Potter caught the eye with his work at Brighton before becoming a victim of the scattergun transfer approach at Chelsea as well as a curious demand for immediate results despite the club publicly proclaiming their project as long term.
He remains out of work but is being lined up by the Red Devils should Sir Jim Ratcliffe complete his 25% buyout of the club.
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The Sun reports that Potter is Ratcliffe’s preferred candidate to take over from Erik ten Hag, who finds his manager role under threat after a slow start to his second season in charge. A 2-1 win over Sheffield United on Saturday leaves the Red Devils eighth in the standings, already five points adrift of the Champions League places.
Unconvincing in terms of both results and performances, Ten Hag’s role is not under immediate pressure, but with a crucial Champions League encounter with Copenhagen followed by Manchester City on Sunday, that situation could soon change.
Potter is currently casting a shadow over him. Given proper backing, as he was at Brighton, the 48-year-old has shown the capacity to build not only a successful team, but one capable of playing attractive football, the type Manchester United have been indelibly associated with.
Crucially, Ratcliffe has shown a serious interest in the manager only a matter of months ago, albeit with Ligue 1 side Nice.
At the beginning of the summer, it was expected that Potter would work under Ratcliffe’s hand on the Cote d’Azur. Ultimately, the project wasn’t big enough for him to accept, but the admiration is clear and the fact that he came so close to taking that job suggests that it is mutual.
Potter to Man Utd: One hurdle to clear
Perhaps the only serious threat to Man Utd’s clear path to Potter is Napoli.
The Serie A champions could propose an interesting project to the former Swansea boss, with head coach Rudi Garcia under pressure as the side lie fifth in the standings.
But while the Italian job promises to be a difficult one after Luciano Spalletti’s miraculous performance in the 2022/23 season, Man Utd can barely get any lower.
Ten Hag may be hanging on for now, but Ratcliffe’s arrival will turn up the heat on the Dutchman while Potter remains available.
