Even the most committed members of the ‘Erik ten Hag out’ society can appreciate the difficulty of the situation Ineos find themselves in at Manchester United.
While some will lay the blame squarely at the door of Sir Jim Ratcliffe – he had the chance to dispense with his under-fire manager over the summer, after all – the fact remains that October is hardly the ideal time to scour the market for a new head coach.
With the exception of one name in particular – Thomas Tuchel is again being linked with Manchester United after holding talks in the off-season – most of those potential Erik ten Hag successors are currently under contract elsewhere.
Man United, if you will, are shopping for strawberries in a season where all that grows is apples.
Simone Inzaghi reportedly snubs Manchester United for Inter Milan stay
Roberto de Zerbi and Thiago Motta are tied up elsewhere, joining Marseille and Juventus a few months ago. Ruben Amorim, Kieran McKenna and Simone Inzaghi are all under contract.
And while there is a case to be made that Manchester United may benefit from sacking Ten Hag now and promoting Ruud van Nistelrooy to the top job on a short-term basis, the disaster that was Ralf Rangnick understandably burned plenty of fingers when it comes to interim appointments.
As for Simone Inzaghi, uncertainty reigns regarding the seriousness of United’s interest. Or, for that matter, the existence of an offer which is being talked up in Italy but played down in England.
Tancredi Palmeri last week sensationally claimed that Manchester United offered Inzaghi the chance to leave Inter Milan for Old Trafford.
And while doubt has been cast on those claims by others in the media, sources close to the reigning Serie A champions seem to believe that Palmeri is speaking from a position of some truth.
According to FC Inter News, Manchester United contacted Inzaghi not directly, but via an intermediary.
Perhaps, operating under a clock of secrecy, this is why suggestions of an approach for the former Lazio boss did not make headlines in England.
The report adds that Man United discussed the idea of Inzaghi taking over as early as September. United had suffered damaging defeats to Brighton and Liverpool at the time but, still, such suggestions are hardly a ringing endorsement of Ten Hag’s standing amid the Ineos hierarchy.
Those alleged talks with Inzaghi were swift and unsuccessful.
Inzaghi wants to stay at Serie A champions as Ineos consider options
Inzaghi, FC Inter News claim, made it clear right from the off that he wanted to stay at Inter. Inzaghi also hopes to sign a new contract with the Nerazzuri.
Man United accepted his stance and put down the phone. Given that the 48-year-old former Italy international seems determined to extend his spell at the San Siro, United may also be wasting their time if they plan to lure Inzaghi away for a second time over the coming months.
As such, while any decision over Ten Hag’s future has been portrayed as a rather cut-and-dry one in the eyes of his biggest detractors, the reality is that it is anything but.
If United were to sack Ten Hag today, the options available to them feel distinctly limited.
Either hand the reigns to Ruud and hope it goes more Ole Gunnar Solskjaer than Ralf Rangnick, give the job to a man who turned it down over the summer in Tuchel, or take the expensive and difficult option of attempting to lure away a manager under contract and happy at his current employers.
No wonder Ratcliffe and co seem reluctant to rush into any decision.
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