Man Utd identify Erik ten Hag successor as manager's job to be reviewed

Erik ten Hag is under increasing pressure at Man Utd following a poor start to the season, with the Dutchman now having to wait until the next international break to learn his fate

Simone Inzaghi has been identified as a potential successor to Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

The future of the Manchester United manager has been thrown into doubt following a disappointing performance against Tottenham, which leaves the team languishing in 12th place in the Premier League with only two victories from their first six games. Despite extending his contract in the summer, Ten Hag has brushed off fears about being dismissed, but there is still an air of uncertainty surrounding his role.

It's believed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will review the Dutchman's position during the next international break. Before this, they face challenging matches against Porto and Aston Villa, providing Ten Hag with a chance to present a compelling case to his superiors.

The Daily Star suggests that Ratcliffe is hesitant to dismiss the former Ajax coach, but acknowledges that the club is stagnating. The United owner is considering bringing in Inzaghi from Inter Milan or former England manager Gareth Southgate, who is currently without a coaching role after leaving the Three Lions post-Euro 2024.

Ratcliffe will discuss the matter with co-owners, the Glazers, as well as sporting director Dan Ashworth and CEO Omar Berrada before reaching a decision, reports the Mirror.

Inzaghi led Inter to the Serie A title last season and since taking over in 2021, he has also secured two Coppa Italia titles and three Supercoppa Italiana wins. Under his guidance, Inter made it to the Champions League final in 2022/23, but were defeated by Manchester City.

The former Lazio striker has successfully steered the Italian side to fourth in the league, boasting three victories and a pair of draws from their first six games. Inzaghi is also the proud recipient of the Enzo Bearzot Award, an accolade presented annually to Italy's finest football manager.

Gareth Southgate, too, has his share of supporters within the United camp and is reportedly on good terms with Ashworth. The 54 year old's last stint at club management was back in 2009 with Middlesbrough, marking his sole venture at club level apart from his international duties.

Earlier in September, United expressed confidence in Ten Hag's leadership. Club executive Berrada declared their satisfaction with the decision to extend Ten Hag's contract, stating: "We're very happy with that decision [to give Ten Hag a new contract]," and "Erik has our full backing and we have worked very closely together in this transfer window. We're going to continue working very closely with him to help him get the best results out of the team. Do we still believe in Erik? Absolutely. We think Erik is the right coach for us and we're fully backing him."