Search for New Manchester United Manager Intensifies

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As Manchester United continue to struggle in their pursuit of the top four in the Premier League, work is taking place behind the scenes as the club attempt to appoint a new permanent manager.

The 2021/22 season does not have long left to run as we enter the business end of the competition and there has yet to be an announcement from Old Trafford regarding who will be taking charge of the team next season.

However, recent reports suggest the club are now taking steps to make an appointment ahead of the summer transfer window. It is crucial the new manager has the time to not only assess the current squad but bring in the players he wants ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

If reports are to be believed, discussions have been held about held over Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag. There have been rumours all season about the future of Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain and the possibility of the Argentine manager leaving the club in the summer.

However, there have been reports over a possible return to Tottenham Hotspur, with Antonio Conte leaving Spurs having not completed one full season at the club.

Pochettino ticks many boxes for Manchester United. He has plenty of experience managing in the Premier League and enjoyed good times with Spurs, both in domestic and European football.

At 50 years of age, he has the perfect blend of experience and desire to continue managing at the top level for several years. However, the lack of a trophy while in English football is something that will be used against Pochettino at Old Trafford, especially if his first season in charge does not lead to silverware.

Ten Hag appears to be the first choice for many Manchester United fans, especially those who are vocal on social media. The current Ajax manager has won many admirers for his style of football in the Netherlands and he too is at a good age to take over at Manchester United.

At the time of writing, Ten Hag has managed Ajax for 203 games in all competitions and has won 150 of those matches, losing only 27 times. He has a 73% win record at Ajax, which is fantastic and Ten Hag not only produces winning results but also plays good football.

However, Ten Hag’s only topflight managerial experience comes in the Dutch league and the Premier League is big step up. Perhaps his record in the Champions League, including reaching the semi-final in 2018/19, shows he is ready to move to one of Europe’s top leagues.

Speaking about the next appointment, interim manager, Ralf Rangnick mentioned Manchester City and Liverpool and said, “They have a very clear identity, a clear idea of how they want to play. This is something that I think also needs to be developed at Manchester United.”

It is no exaggeration to say Manchester United need the next managerial appointment to work, both in the short and the long term. Rumours are circling that an announcement is going to be made in the next few weeks and Pochettino and Ten Hag are the two names in the running.