Kieran Mckenna has edged out in front of Mauricio Pochettino as the favourite to become the next Manchester United manager amid continuing speculation over Erik ten Hag’s future.
Ten Hag enjoyed a fruitful 2022/23 at Old Trafford, securing Champions League football and the League Cup in his first season at the helm. However, an 8th-place finish in the Premier League this past season saw rumours begin to swirl that the Dutchman was on his way out.
Manchester United faced off with Manchester City over the weekend and earned a shock 2-1 win versus the Citizens to clinch the FA Cup. Will this be enough to save Ten Hag’s job?
Next Manchester United Manager Odds
Here are the current favourites for the Manchester United manager job:
- Kieran McKenna - 17/20
- Mauricio Pochettino - 2/1
- Thomas Tuchel - 5/1
- Gareth Southgate - 12/1
- Graham Potter - 14/1
- Thomas Frank - 14/1
- Roberto De Zerbi - 14/1
- Ruben Amorim - 16/1
All odds correct from Betfair as of May 27, 10am
Next Manchester United Manager: The Contenders
Kieran McKenna
Kieran McKenna is the current favourite to be named next Manchester United manager. The 38-year-old is the fastest-rising managerial star in English football right now after an excellent few seasons with Ipswich Town.
McKenna took charge of the Tractor Boys in 2021 and guided them to promotion from League One in 2022/23, with most simply expecting the goal to be survival this past term. However, Ipswich went on to finish 2nd in the Championship with 96 points, meaning they will be plying their trade in the Premier League next term.
Had Ipswich missed out on promotion, it may have been easier to convince McKenna to leave, whereas now he may wish to stick it out with his current club and give Premier League survival a go. However, McKenna has previous ties to the club after working in various roles from 2016 to 2021, which may help United’s chances of landing him.
Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino is currently the second favourite to replace Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager. The Argentine spent 2023/24 in the Chelsea dugout and endured a mixed season. The Blues struggled for results in the first half of the campaign before going on to lose just one of their last 14, earning a 6th-place finish.
Given he was able to turn Chelsea’s form around and things were finally starting to look up for the west Londoners, Pochettino may feel somewhat hard done by following his sacking earlier this month. He has a plethora of Premier League experience with Tottenham and Chelsea, and may now be looking to prove his doubters in the capital wrong by taking up another role in England.
Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel spent 2023/24 in charge of Bayern Munich. However, after losing out on the Bundesliga to Bayer Leverkusen and failing to win any cup competitions, the German stepped down from his role earlier this month.
Tuchel has previous experience in the Premier League, taking charge of Chelsea from January 2021 to September 2022. During that time he was able to guide the Blues to Champions League, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup success. Given Manchester United’s squad is in need of a serious revamp, signing someone with Tuchel’s experience could be a smart move.
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate’s links to the Manchester United job began to ramp up earlier this year after Dan Ashworth left his role at Newcastle United, with it expected he will become the Red Devils’ sporting director following his gardening leave. Ashworth has previously worked with Southgate during his time at the FA, hence suggestions the pair would work well together at Old Trafford.
Southgate is currently the England manager but there is a belief that he will leave his role following Euro 2024 if the Three Lions do not win the competition. The 53-year-old’s only previous experience as a club manager came between 2006/2009 when he took charge of Middlesbrough before being sacked in October 2009 after the North East outfit were relegated to the Championship.
Today’s Football Tips
Premier League football does not get back underway until August. But there is one Bundesliga clash taking place today, as Fortuna Dusseldorf face off with VfL Bochum.
VfL Bochum travel away from home to take on Fortuna Dusseldorf on Monday, and we’ve got it covered with our bet builder of the day article, while for those of you looking to place an acca, we have our acca of the day lined up and ready to go.
This week’s best free bets and enhanced offers
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