Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer agree on major Man Utd factor in Thomas Tuchel getting the England job

Add as preferred source on Google

Manchester United seem to be sticking with Erik ten Hag for now but their potential pool of candidates to choose from in the future if they do sack him just got smaller.

Thomas Tuchel has been confirmed as the England manager from 2025 onwards till the 2026 World Cup and since Tuchel was consistently linked to the Man Utd job, it has potentially massive ramifications at Old Trafford.

Tuchel came close to joining United in the summer before talks eventually broke down and as the season developed into a trainwreck, his name was popping up again.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a fan of Tuchel and his winning record plus Premier League experience would have been a welcome addition to the club.

However, things moved quickly with regard to the England job which has made Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer agree on a major Man Utd factor in Tuchel getting the England manager job.

The Man Utd factor in Thomas Tuchel’s case with England

The England manager job was one of the most high-profile vacancies going around but for long, it was thought that the job should go to an Englishman.

Lee Carsley made some initial impressions during the first international break in September but it all unraveled in the defeat to Greece during the October break.

As such, the search was on for a more permanent, accomplished solution but still, the whispers of Tuchel being considered to him being announced moved rapidly.

Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, both Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer agreed that the pace at which the agreement was reached, even though Tuchel won’t start until 2025, hints at a larger piece moving in the background which has to do with Man Utd.

Shearer said: “They’ve [The FA] looked at Thomas Tuchel and thought there’s a real live chance he could get the Man Utd job pretty soon. Their opportunity lies now. So, if they didn’t act now, there was a real chance they weren’t going to get one of the outstanding candidates for the England job.

“There’s every chance that that [Man Utd manager] vacancy could become available soon so they thought, ‘Let’s get this deal done now!'”

Gary Lineker agreed with Shearer, recalling the noise around Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd future in light of Ineos’ meeting during the international break.

He said: “There was a big meeting at Manchester United in London. There were a lot of rumours that maybe they were going to fire Ten Hag. Maybe they weren’t but we know they talked to Tuchel in the summer.

“Maybe the FA have gone, ‘Crikey! We don’t wanna miss out to Man Utd’, so they pushed it. It does seem slightly odd, the timing, since Tuchel doesn’t start till 2025.” [Relevant comments begin at 3.55 minute mark]

Where do Man Utd go from here?

Thomas Tuchel was becoming the increasingly popular answer for “If not Ten Hag then who” question surrounding the club.

Now that he’s out of the picture, there’s no “sure bet” manager on the market who could believably come to Old Trafford with the pedigree and status required to win from day one.

Of course, that becomes a moot point if Ineos decide to pivot to a “project manager” like Kieran McKenna or Graham Potter instead as someone who can grow with the team in the long term.

There’s also the prospect of Ten Hag keeping his job but that is entirely dependent on the results improving quickly before the next international break with five tricky fixtures on the horizon.

The problem with dithering and waiting for long is that the pool of candidates to choose from will continue to dwindle.

They’ve already lost the likes of Hansi Flick, Julian Nagelsmann, and now Thomas Tuchel to other jobs since Ten Hag started struggling last season.

A decision needs to be made soon, either way. United can’t afford to go game-by-game anymore.