Who will succeed Erik ten Hag as the next Manchester United manager?

MANCHESTER - In a surprise move, Manchester United have parted ways with manager Erik ten Hag on Oct 28, citing a lack of progress during his third season at the helm. This decision has left the prestigious club in search of a new coach to take on the challenging role and try to turn their fortunes around in the fiercely competitive Premier League.

Since Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013, the 20-times English champions have not won the league title despite some big names such as Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho taking the reins.

The following are some of the candidates among the favourites to replace Ten Hag:

The former United forward was a crowd favourite during his time at the club where he scored 150 goals and is no stranger to the dugout having taken the role of assistant coach this season.

Van Nistelrooy will replace Ten Hag on an interim basis but this is not his first big job as a coach. The Dutchman managed PSV Eindhoven in 2022-23 when he guided them to the Dutch Cup and second place in the Eredivisie.

United will hope the squad responds to a former player taking charge in the manner that Van Nistelrooy’s ex-teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revived the club’s fortunes when he came in on an interim basis and was rewarded with the permanent role.

After a stellar career in which he won 25 trophies as a midfielder with Barcelona, Xavi cut his teeth in management in Qatar where he led Al-Sadd to a league title and several cups before he was brought back to the Catalan club in November 2021.

In his first full season, Barca romped home in the LaLiga title race with four games to spare despite the club’s deep financial crisis as they ended a four-year drought and he brought some much-needed stability.

The club were in the doldrums following the departure of talisman Lionel Messi but Xavi managed to turn things around with a squad that had a rich mix of experience and youth before he was sacked earlier this year after a season of turmoil.

Xavi’s confidence in developing academy products may work in favour of United, who have prided themselves in having youth players consistently breaking into the first team in the past.

The former England boss has put his feet up since he resigned after the Euros final defeat in July and, although he failed to win a trophy, he did what many managers failed to do by reaching showpiece matches with a squad rich in talent.

After England’s golden generation faltered in major tournaments, Southgate’s young squad erased painful memories and gave the nation hope by going deep in tournaments - including a World Cup semi-final and runners-up spot at the last two Euros.

Although criticised for being too pragmatic at times, Southgate’s approach may be what United need after several managers have failed to leave their mark on a team which has no real tactical identity to speak of.

The Danish coach guided Brentford to the Premier League for the first time in 2021 and has since kept them competitive in the top flight with an attractive style of play and even managed a top-10 finish in the 2022-23 season.

His achievements despite the Bees’ financial shortcomings and poor luck with injuries and suspensions have earned praise from managers such as Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, who said it was only a “question of time” before Frank managed a big European club.

Frank, however, has said he enjoys the freedom he has at Brentford where his style of management is aligned with the club’s leadership and culture so the United project would have to appeal to him if he is to make the switch.