Man Utd: Ten Hag ‘sentenced’ with ‘change of direction imminent’ as three-man shortlist is revealed

Man Utd are set to change their manager in the near future after Erik ten Hag was ‘sentenced’ by the board, according to reports.

The Dutchman came under increased pressure recently when they went into the international break after losing 3-0 to arch-rivals Liverpool.

But the heat cooled a little when Man Utd took four points from two Premier League away matches against Southampton and Crystal Palace, while they also thrashed League One side Barnsley 7-0 in the League Cup.

Their two most recent performances in a 1-1 draw against FC Twente in the Europa League and a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday have set alarm bells ringing once again.

A report in the Daily Telegraph claims that the Man Utd board ‘will continue to support Ten Hag ahead of key matches against Porto and Aston Villa this week’.

Those two matches are believed to be crucial and the Man Utd boss ‘needs a swift reaction from his players’ if he is to keep his job.

And now reports in Spain claim that Ten Hag has already been ‘sentenced’ and ‘appears to be living his final days’ as Man Utd boss with ‘a change of direction imminent’.

It is claimed that former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel is ‘seen as the ideal man to return United to the elite of European football’.

The report insists that Tuchel has ‘already put a clear transfer request on the table’ with the German demanding that Man Utd attempt to sign Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo in the next window.

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As well as Tuchel, GiveMeSport claim that ‘sources continue to name Gareth Southgate and Thomas Frank as candidates to potentially look out for’ as part of a potential shortlist of replacements.

The report adds:

‘The manner of the last three results against Crystal Palace, FC Twente and Tottenham Hotspur means there is new pressure on the manager to ignite life into the side over the next two matches so that there are no serious discussions beginning in the next international break about his job security.

‘Ten Hag has no guarantees over his future at United through this season and while sources insist they are not currently speaking to anyone else about taking his spot in the dugout, we could soon see speculation intensify.’

Despite no expectations to win the Premier League, or even challenge, this season, the Man Utd board are still looking to move towards the top two places.

The report continued:

‘Last week details around Project 150 – a plan to win the Premier League before 2028 – began to leak. United’s power figures know that overnight success is impossible but that the building blocks for such a moment need to emerge soon.

‘Insiders claim that while the pressure to actually win the league may not be there right now, they have to be challenging for the top two places within the next couple of seasons, otherwise the climb towards actually lifting the trophy is going to be too tough any time soon.’