Manchester United are reportedly lining up former Chelsea manager Graham Potter as Erik Ten Hag’s replacement, as reported by The Mirror.
Prospective co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reported to make a managerial change as one of his first decisions when taking over the club. Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter is said to be favoured over current manager Erik Ten Hag, who has endured a tough test to this point with the Premier League side.
The former Ajax boss is in his second season with the Red Devils, and progress looks to have halted for the side after promising displays in the second half of last season. Tuesday night’s 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich saw the side crash out of the Champions League, finishing bottom of a group they were expected to qualify comfortably from. The finishing position means no European football for the club for the remainder of this season. In domestic competition, Ten Hag’s side has seen three wins in their last five, but the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend sees them lie sixth in the league, three points off of Tottenham Hotspur.
All this has left many questioning Ten Hag and wondering how much time he has left at Old Trafford. The past two defeats have put serious pressure on the Dutch manager’s future at the club, and defeat at Liverpool could spell the end for him.
Potter has been out of work since his departure from Chelsea in April, spending less than a full season in West London with the Blues. Ratcliffe is said to be a fan of the 48-year-old and wanted him to take the reins at French side OGC Nice. The ex-Brighton boss is said to have turned down many jobs while he waits patiently for his next opportunity. Most recently, he is said to have rejected the vacant position at Stoke City as he continues his wait for a top job to arrive.
Writer’s View
Potter has shown in the past he can lead a team successfully. However, that was at Brighton, and he was one of the major reasons for where the side is now. Going into a job like United would be a mistake for the 48-year-old, in my opinion. He would be going into an environment similar to the one he faced at Chelsea.