It will not be Kieran McKenna, who extended his contract with Ipswich Town. It won’t be Thomas Tuchel either, who met Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco but who didn’t appeal. And it won’t a priori be Mauricio Pochettino either. As revealed The Times this Tuesday, the Argentine coach is no longer considered by the management of Manchester United as an option to replace Erik ten Hag, whose fate has not yet been officially sealed.
The English newspaper explains that the current coach of the Red Devils is not yet definitively sidelined. His contribution is still being evaluated by the new management of the Mancunian club. That said, for most of the English media there is little doubt that he will be sacked in the coming days. THE Times assures that a decision will be made this week.
The Southgate Dilemma
But to put who in his place? This is the major problem that arises. Today, two candidates still seem to be in the running. Roberto de Zerbi, who left Brighton, would be an option. But the number 1 choice leads to Gareth Southgate, the England manager. A track that contains major drawbacks. First, he is under contract with the English Federation (FA) until next December. Then, we will have to wait until the end of Euro 2024 (which ends on July 14) to consider discussions. Finally, the FA wants to extend it.
Southgate, for his part, has made it known that he would consider leaving if he fails to lead the English selection, which is among the favorites, to final victory. Are Manchester United ready to take the risk of waiting until the end of the competition to hope to sign their new coach? What if England were to win and Southgate continued the adventure? The Mancunian club would then find itself in mid-July without a single coach…
