Ten Hag under pressure at Man Utd following Southgate resignation

Erik ten Hag faces increased pressure at Manchester United heading into the new season following Gareth Southgate’s resignation as England manager.

Southgate announced his departure from the England national team on Tuesday following eight years in the job.

The former defender made the decision after losing 2-1 in the final of Euro 2024 on Sunday against Spain. That result signalled back-to-back final defeats in the Euros.

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Despite heavy criticism over Southgate’s playing style and whether he maximised the ability of his England players, his results were consistently excellent over his eight years with England.

In four major tournaments he oversaw, England reached two finals, a semi-final and a quarter final.

Southgate is highly respected by new Man Utd part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who considered the coach his number one choice to replace Erik ten Hag had the Dutchman been sacked this summer.

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Ten Hag had been expected to be sacked after a generally miserable 2023-24 campaign in which – despite winning the FA Cup – Man Utd finished eighth in the Premier League and were dumped out of Europe at the Champions League group stage.

United held an internal review on Ten Hag’s future and even spoke to a number of potential managerial replacements, but in a shock development the Dutchman ended up staying at Old Trafford and extending his contract until 2026.

© IMAGO – Erik ten Hag had been expected to be sacked

However, Ten Hag’s future remains very much under scrutiny and a bad start to the 2024-25 season will immediately put the Dutchman’s head back on the chopping block.

Southgate is now free and available having left the England job, and he would jump at the chance to manage Man Utd.