Man Utd: Five available managers who could replace Ten Hag

Carlo Garganese

Updated: 1 Oct 2023 10:16 CDT
4 min read

Antonio Conte, Tottenham, 2022-23 — © ProShots

Erik ten Hag is facing increased calls for the sack after a disastrous start to the 2023-23 season.

Man Utd have made their worst start to a campaign for 34 years, as they have picked up just nine points from their first seven Premier League games.

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They are down in 10th position, already seven points off the top four, and the hashtag #TenHagOut was trending on Saturday after a humiliating 1-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace.

So if United were to sack Ten Hag, what top managers are available?

Here are five the Red Devils could turn to.

Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte is undoubtedly the highest profile name available on the market.

Conte has been one of the best managers of his generation, achieving incredible success with Juventus, Chelsea, the Italy national team and Inter.

His last job at Tottenham ended sourly earlier this year but he remains one of the best managers on the planet.

The concern will be that in an already toxic atmosphere, appointing Conte could be like adding fuel to the fire.

Christophe Galtier

Galtier has been Ligue’s 1 most successful manager in recent years, winning the title with Lille and PSG in the last three years.

He parted company with PSG this summer after another failed Champions League campaign last season.

He was close to getting the Napoli job but remains without work.

Whether he will be a sexy enough name for Man Utd’s supporters is the question but he will certainly be considered.

Hansi Flick

Hansi Flick endured a disastrous spell in charge of the Germany national team. Taking over in 2021 after Euro 2020, he lasted little more than two years in the job.

He flopped spectacularly at the 2022 World Cup as Germany were eliminated in the group stages by Japan. He was then sacked last month after a humiliating 4-1 thumping at home by the same team.

But his stock remains high after winning the sextuple in 2020 with Bayern Munich.

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane had been out of a job since leaving Real Madrid for the second time in 2021.

He had hoped to succeed Didier Deschamps in the France job but after les Bleus reached the final of the winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022, Deschamps' contract was extended by four years.

Zidane has been linked to Man Utd numerous times in the past but it is widely understood that he has never had any interest in managing the club or moving to England.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Could there be an unlikely but not impossible return for Solskjaer at Old Trafford.

The Norwegian managed United for almost three years from 2018 to 2021. It was an up-and-down time for Solskjaer, who still nevertheless led United to a second-placed finish. This is still their best finish since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013.

Solskajer was credited with getting rid of the toxicity at the club during his first spell. Could he do the same again now?