Following a late 2-1 defeat to West Ham last Sunday afternoon, Manchester United have officially decided to sack manager Erik ten Hag after just over two years in charge.
Ex-United striker and former PSV Eindhoven boss Ruud van Nistelrooy will take interim charge while a permanent successor is found.
It really has been a tumultuous start to the 2024-25 season for the Red Devils, with Ten Hag seemingly on the verge of the axe right from the start.
The Dutch head coach’s exit looked likely at the end of last term, until a 2-1 victory in the FA Cup final over fierce rivals Manchester City changed the situation.
United’s new ownership opted to give him a one-year contract extension as a result of that success, a decision which now looks farcical in the extreme.
So, who are the candidates to replace Ten Hag in the Old Trafford hot-seat?
NetBet, a trusted UK betting site with a range of football odds and market, takes a look at the latest odds.
And if you are a new NetBet customer, you can take advantage of our brilliant Welcome Offer!
Bye Bye Erik
United’s start to the season has been nothing short of horrendous for a club of their stature.
The defeat at the London Stadium – which did involve a contentious VAR penalty call – means they sit 14th in the Premier League table with just three wins from their opening nine matches.
And in Europe, United have not fared any better this term, with the team lacking any real identity, structure or consistency under Ten Hag’s rule.
The Red Devils have drawn all three of their Europa League matches thus far, failing to beat FC Twente, FC Porto and most recently Fenerbahce.
After spending big money on the likes of Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui in the summer, the results simply have not been acceptable.
As such, the new permanent manager has quite the task on their hands in trying to revive United back to the halcyon days of the Sir Alex Ferguson era. Ten Hag, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and David Moyes have all failed at the assignment.
So, let’s take a look at the latest odds…
Next Permanent Manchester United Manager Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Ruud van Nistelrooy – 1.62
Xavi Hernandez – 4.00
Gareth Southgate – 5.00
Ruben Amorim – 6.00
Julian Nagelsmann – 7.00
Thomas Frank – 9.00
Graham Potter – 11.00
Michael Carrick – 15.00
Kieran McKenna – 15.00
Simone Inzaghi – 26.00
Edin Terzic – 34.00
There are some big names in the running, that is for sure! Van Nistelrooy is unsurprisingly the big favourite, given the club are trying to make a hire midway through the season.
Brentford and Ipswich managers Frank and McKenna are the favourites in terms of current Premier League bosses, with the former heavily linked with the United job in the summer.
Fourth favourite Amorim has enjoyed success in charge of Sporting Lisbon and he would represent an exciting hire, albeit with the obvious element of risk involved in terms of making the switch from Portuguese football to the English top flight.
But perhaps the most interesting name on the list is second favourite Xavi, who along with Southgate, Potter and Terzic is currently without a job.
Xavi guided Barcelona to the 2022-23 La Liga title and a man of his footballing stature could be perfect for United’s rebuild.
And, of course, Carrick – currently in charge of Championship side Middlesbrough – had a brief spell as interim United boss in 2021 following Solskjaer’s dismissal.
Managerially, he has really evolved at Boro and as a popular figure at Old Trafford already, the Englishman could be one to watch out for.
And finally looking at Inzaghi and Nagelsmann, persuading them to leave their current positions at Inter Milan and the German national side may prove to be a tall order – even for one of the world’s most famous football clubs.
When you choose NetBet Sport, you can enjoy a whole range of top-quality sports and markets. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at NetBet, player wellbeing is our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information. When the fun stops, stop.