Man Utd sound out ‘dinosaur’ to replace Ten Hag

Robin Bairner

Updated: 22 Sept 2024 18:00 BST
3 min read

Erik ten Hag, dinosaur, Man Utd, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag continues to find his job under pressure, with rumours that the hierarchy at Old Trafford are sizing up possible replacements for the former Ajax boss.

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According to a report from Italy, one of the managers who is in the running to come to Old Trafford is former Juventus head coach Max Allegri.

The 57-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by Juventus late last season and would, therefore, be able to take over the reins at Man Utd immediately should Ten Hag vacate his post.

A scoreless draw against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday did not exactly aid the Dutchman’s cause, but at least the performance represented an improvement.

Calciomercato reports that United have “sounded out” Allegri to gauge his interest for the post.

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An outdated choice?

Allegri has a long history of success at top-level football, including six Serie A titles, one with Milan and five with Juventus, who he also led to the Champions League final on a couple of occasions.

While this CV might be appealing, FootballTransfers’ Italian football expert Carlo Garganese has previously slammed the coach’s methods as Juventus gradually became uncompetitive compared to Italy’s leading clubs.

“Allegri has been an unmitigated disaster during his second spell at Juventus, since returning in the summer 2021,” Garganese previously said, describing the coach as a ‘€9m-a-year dinosaur’.

The Italian would also be a strange choice as Man Utd coach given his history of playing dull, defensive football, which is the antithesis of what Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants at the club.

On top of this, there is the issue of his ugly end to his tenure at Juventus, which concluded following a spectacular rant to the referee during victory in the Coppa Italia final against Atalanta, to contend with. Allegri’s behaviour that night was seen to run counter to the values of the club, which, like United, hold these in high regard.

Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter are other managers who have been linked with the Man Utd job and are currently out of work. Both would appear to be more logical appointments.