Manchester United may already have an Erik ten Hag succession plan waiting in the wings at Old Trafford, should the Dutchman be sacked this season.
The pressure on Ten Hag’s shoulders continues to mount after United slumped to their second Premier League defeat of the season against rivals Liverpool.
Unsurprisingly, the future of Ten Hag was once again a topic of conversation post-match, with Jamie Carragher among those predicting he’ll be sacked sooner rather than later.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the one-sided contest at Old Trafford, the ex-Liverpool star claimed: “It’s early days, three games into the season. But I’d be surprised if he’s still in charge at the end of the season.
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"The football, the way they talk about playing, Jason Wilcox made a statement last season about a philosophy of play. There isn’t one. You can see it with Slot in the first three games.”
He later added: "If we’re being totally honest, the ownership didn’t want to keep him. They won the cup final and it put them in a position where they weren’t sure what to do.
"They were scurrying around Europe speaking to agents and other managers seeing if they could find someone better than Erik ten Hag… And listen they’re probably delaying the inevitable.”
If Carragher’s prediction turns out to be correct and United do in fact pull the plug on Ten Hag’s time with the club, there are some who think the Red Devils have already hired his replacement.
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Former Stretford End favourite Ruud van Nistelrooy is being tipped to take over from Ten Hag, with the ex-goal machine having been hired as assistant coach this summer.
Part of the reason behind Van Nistelrooy being touted is because the 70-cap Dutch international already boasts managerial experience.
Van Nistelrooy spent just over a season in charge of PSV Eindhoven, where he lifted the Dutch Cup as manager in 2023.
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It’s a sentiment being pushed by certain pundits too, with one-time Arsenal ace Perry Groves telling talkSPORT: “He’s going to be the next manager, without a shadow of a doubt.”
Ushering in Van Nistelrooy post-Ten Hag would make sense for INEOS, given he’s already on the club’s books and would’ve worked with the existing crop of players.
Plus, appointing Van Nistelrooy also eliminates the tedious search for a replacement, as the ex-Real Madrid man would be ready to go straight away.
