Next Man Utd Manager: Thomas Tuchel cut from 6/1 into 9/4 for role if Erik ten Hag sacked

• Is Tuchel top target for United chiefs?

• Van Nistelrooy favourite at 11/82.38

• Gareth Southgate to get Red Devils job is 5/23.50

Thomas Tuchel is now the 9/43.25 favourite on the Betfair Sportsbook to be the next Manchester United manager as speculation mounts that Erik ten Hag could be sacked during the international break that starts today.

United ground out a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa yesterday, which followed their 3-3 at Porto in midweek, and the Red Devils' disappointing start to the system has fuelled speculation that the Old Trafford hierarchy may look to make a change sooner rather than later.

However, with rumours swirling that the board at Old Trafford are meeting this week, Betfair has seen over 70% of all bets on the Next Man Utd manager market coming in for Thomas Tuchel.

Manager Market Move

Thomas Tuchel has been backed into the favourite to be the next Man Utd boss

70% of bets this morning have been for the former Chelsea manager...

-- Betfair (@Betfair) October 7, 2024

Tuchel, Van Nistelrooy and Southgate odds for next Man Utd manager

The club were in touch with Tuchel in the summer, although details of their discussions with the German, who left Bayern Munich at the end of last season, remain sketchy. Did he turn them down or did they decide to stick with Ten Hag because they were impressed by United's performance in winning the FA Cup final?

Either way, Tuchel is now the the leading candidate to suceed under pressure Ten Hag, moving ahead of current #2 at the club, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who is 11/82.38 to take over if Ten Hag gets the boot. Ten Hag only brought Ruud to the club in the summer.

The former-United striker could be the man the club turn to if they do not already have somebody lined-up to take the job permanently. And if he is in charge for at least 10 games as an interim manager, then he will be deemed the winner in the market under Betfair' rules.

Gareth Southgate 5/16.00 is also linked with the United job. He stepped down after taking England to a second successive European Championships final in the summer.

He has a good relationship with Dan Ashworth, United's new sporting director, after the pair worked together at the FA.

Then there is Kieran McKenna 9/110.00 who has worked wonders to achieve consecutive promotions with Ipswich. He knows Old Trafford from his time working as one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's assistants but it may be too early in the 38-year-old's managerial career for him to take on the United job.

If Ten Hag does survive the international break, then he will be under-pressure to get results against Brentford in the Premier League and Jose Mourinho's Fenerbache on 19 and 24 October respectively.

But that remains a big 'if' and anything could happen at United in the next few days.

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