Next Manchester United Manager: Tuchel Remains The Favourite
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Manchester United's hopes of qualifying for European football next season were dealt a blow by Arsenal, whose 1-0 win at Old Trafford means the title race will go to the final day.
United have not been in a title race since Sir Alex Ferguson's final season in 2012/13 ended with a 13th Premier League title.
Erik ten Hag's side are 15 points worse off than at this stage of last season and 13 points behind Aston Villa in fourth place.
It promises to be a busy summer at Old Trafford with many big questions needing answering. The biggest of those is whether Ten Hag is the right man to turn the club's fortunes around.
Betting sites don't give the Red Devils much hope of ending the season on a high.
A place in the FA Cup final has saved the Dutchman so far, but as Louis van Gaal found out, winning that competition after a poor league season doesn't keep a manager in his job at Old Trafford.
It's hard to see this current United team beating Manchester City in this year's FA Cup final on Saturday May 25.
Will Ten Hag be in charge of United next season? Bookmakers continue to have their say on who could replace the Dutchman if he leaves his role.
Former United defender Paul Parker believes the Dutchman deserves more time to continue the work he has started at Old Trafford.
"It (winning the FA Cup) would definitely give him something to say: look at what I’ve done, look at what I’ve achieved in my time with the club," Parker exclusively told Gambling.com.
"With last season, getting to two finals, getting into the Champions League, that would definitely give him something to flap in the faces of the hierarchy.
"He should get the opportunity to actually work for Manchester United. And the opportunity to be able to get what he wants, and the club owe him the opportunity to do that by getting rid of the deadwood."
If Ten Hag gets to stay in charge for a third season, then Parker says he needs to be backed in the summer transfer window by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who completed his deal to buy a 27.7% stake in the Old Trafford club in February.
Parker wants Ratcliffe to give the manager the best chance of succeeding next season, which the defender feels hasn't been the case in recent seasons.
"He (Ratcliffe) has to (back the manager in the transfer market)," Parker told Gambling.com.
"There’s no point in Ten Hag continuing to get last minute deals, and he (Ratcliffe) needs the people who have been brought into those departments to give the manager the best players available with the right characteristics.
“To play for Manchester United you need to be top calibre, and the club needs to bring in players who have the right mental strength and can hit the ground running, which is something they haven’t done in recent seasons.”
Ten Hag has just over 12 months left on his current deal and the arrival of Ratcliffe as new part owner could lead to the Red Devils making major changes in the summer.
So, who will be United’s next permanent manager? Remember, this market remains valid even if Ten Hag stays put for four or five years, although many are beginning to wonder whether he will still be in place by the end of the season.
Tuchel The Favourite Despite European Collapse
Thomas Tuchel was just two minutes away from guiding Bayern Munich to the final of the Champions League.
Leading Real Madrid 3-2 on aggregate, Joselu's goals in the 88th and 91st minutes meant the Bavarian side will register a trophyless season for the first time since 2012.
Tuchel had already won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, and a second success would have opened a lot of doors for the German.
But that dramatic late collapse will forever be associated with him. Is he the right man to take over from Ten Hag? Tuchel remains the 7/4 favourite on football betting sites.
Southgate's Odds Begin To Drift
Gareth Southgate has a busy summer ahead of him as he narrows his squad down to 26 for this summer's European Championship in Germany.
Southgate has been the long-time favourite for the Old Trafford job, but the 53-year-old's odds have drifted a little on betting apps and he is now the 5/2 second favourite.
The former defender will hope he can lead his side out for the final of Euro 2024 on Sunday, July 14, which wouldn't give him much time to start work at United ahead of their season opener on the weekend of August 17.
This could be Southgate's last major tournament as England manager and a return to club management could be next on his agenda.
Southgate's contract expires at the end of the year and he insists his contractual situation is not an issue ahead of the Euros.
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Interest In Potter Is Fading
Sooner or later Graham Potter will return to football management and perhaps the former Brighton and Chelsea manager is waiting for the right opportunity.
Potter is looking to rebuild his career after a disastrous spell at Stamford Bridge, which produced just 12 wins in 31 games.
The odds of Potter becoming the next Manchester United manager have gone from 3/1 to 6/1 in the last couple of weeks.
Anyone who witnessed Potter's work at Swansea City and Brighton knows he is a sharp thinker who can combine style with results and his coaching acumen is not in doubt.
Unlike Southgate, Potter is available now and bookmakers regard the Englishman as one of the candidates for the role.
Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur
De Zerbi Deserves To Be Considered
It was always going to be a tough campaign for Brighton and their manager Roberto De Zerbi, as they juggled the Premier League fixtures with their first ever European adventure.
League results suffered as the routine of playing on Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons gradually took its toll.
But with two matches remaining, there is a chance the Seagulls could finish above United in the Premier League table, and the two sides meet at the Amex on the final day of the season on Sunday.
The Italian is clearly a good manager and United are one of many clubs that would be interested in taking the Italian off Brighton's hands, but a price of 11/1 means they could face stiff competition for his signature from Newcastle United.
Zidane Stays High On The List
Zinedine Zidane has been linked with United in the past, but he is 14/1 to make the move to Manchester.
The former France international won two Liga titles and three Champions Leagues across two spells at Real Madrid, where he proved adept at managing big personalities and keeping everyone happy.
Zidane’s tactical astuteness is often underestimated, but he is untested outside the unique environment of Madrid.
He has also been out of work for more than two years, which suggests he is not exactly in a rush to get back into management.
Would Emery Leave Villa For United?
The talk of Unai Emery taking over from Erik ten Hag has cooled in recent weeks as Aston Villa continue their fight to finish fourth in the Premier League.
One point from their final two games will seal a place in next season's Champions League, which is an incredible achievement for the club that were crowned champions of Europe in 1982.
Emery, who struggled when tasked with replacing Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, is building something special at Villa Park and another chance to manage a big club will come his way.
Qualification for the Champions League could see him stay in the Midlands for the time being.
Frank Might Fancy Old Trafford Job
Thomas Frank has some big decisions to make in the summer.
Should he stay at Brentford and continue the good work he has done at the Gtech Community Stadium, or explore any job offers that he might be presented with?
After finishing 13th and ninth, the Bees have struggled this season and the highest they can finish is 15th in their third season in the Premier League.
Brentford will extend their stay in the Premier League for a fourth season, but will Frank be picking their team next season? Frank is 16/1 to be Manchester United's next manager.
Hoeness Has Emerged As A Candidate
Stuttgart can finish a remarkable season second in the German Bundesliga with a home win against Borussia Dortmund and a defeat for Bayern Munich at Hoffenheim on the final day of the season.
The last time Stuttgart finished second was over 20 years ago and manager Sebastian Hoeness deserves a lot of credit for turning the club's fortunes around this season.
High profile jobs like managing Manchester United may be offered to Hoeness (20/1) this summer, and this might be the ideal time to take them.
Why Jose Mourinho Is In The Mix
After being sacked by Roma in January, Jose Mourinho has been linked with a number of vacancies in European football.
A return to Old Trafford has been mentioned and he is 16/1 to replace Ten Hag if the club decide on a change of manager.
The Portuguese manager was in charge of the Red Devils between 2016-18, finishing second in his final full season, and winning the Europa League and League Cup during his reign.
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But, after beginning the 2018/19 season with just seven wins in the first 17 Premier League games, Mourinho was sacked. However, he is reportedly keen on a return to Old Trafford saying he would walk to Old Trafford if he was given the chance to manage the club again.
Julian Nagelsmann was in the mix until announcing he would be extending his contract as Germany manager, although he remains 14/1.
One name not likely to be in the Old Trafford dugout next season is Julen Lopetegui, who has agreed to replace David Moyes as West Ham manager.
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