Three most likely Erik ten Hag replacements after Thomas Tuchel confirmed as England boss

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The shortlist for the Manchester United manager job has become a little smaller after Thomas Tuchel was hired by England.

Thomas Tuchel made no secret of his desire to work in England after his departure from Bayern Munich.

Manchester United talked to Tuchel in the summer, and decided not to make a move. Despite speculation growing over the future of Erik ten Hag, United were unmoved by the prospect of appointing the German mid-season.

And while Erik ten Hag is a short-term winner, that won’t help him if Manchester United’s form does not pick up.

Ineos will be making contingency plans for if United’s form tanks further, so who exactly are their options?

Last month we looked a possible replacements for Ten Hag, a list which has grown smaller, with Tuchel out and Southgate and Inzaghi distancing themselves from a role.

Thomas Frank

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has been building a reputation as a highly competent Premier League manager who deserves a bigger platform.

Frank spoke to Ineos in the summer, and could be a practical replacement for Erik ten Hag who supporters could respect and get behind, despite reservations over a CV that lacks experience at a higher level.

The Dane has an engaging personality which could help with players and the media, is a strong communicator.

Frank has led Brentford to a higher league position than Manchester United on a modest budget, and has a strong record against Ten Hag, heading into this weekend’s match between the two teams at Old Trafford.

While he is already in a job, it is highly unlikely Frank would be able to turn down the opportunity to manage Manchester United, nor that Brentford would stand in his way.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
11	BrentfordBrentford	7	3	1	3	13	13	0	10
12	West HamWest Ham	7	2	2	3	10	11	-1	8
13	B’mouthBournemouth	7	2	2	3	8	10	-2	8
14	Man UtdManchester United	7	2	2	3	5	8	-3	8
15	LeicesterLeicester	7	1	3	3	9	12	-3	6
16	EvertonEverton	7	1	2	4	7	15	-8	5

Kieran McKenna

Another manager who Manchester United expressed interest in was Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, regarded as one of English football’s best managerial talents.

McKenna was appointed as United assistant under Jose Mourinho and also worked under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, before leaving to forge his own path.

McKenna subsequently led Ipswich from League One to the Premier League. Now in the top flight, McKenna may have taken the Tractor Boys as far as he can.

He rejected overtures from Brighton in the summer while there was interest from Chelsea too. Manchester United may be a different proposition.

McKenna would be a long-term appointment United could build around, and while there could be some haggling to get him away mid-season, after he recently signed a new deal in East Anglia, it is unlikely he would turn down such an opportunity.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

This may be the most likely option in the short-term. Even in the case of Frank and McKenna, as they are in jobs, Ruud van Nistelrooy could land a caretaker role.

Van Nistelrooy has serious managerial aspirations too, and he could end up being appointed on an interim basis until the end of the current season.

The Dutchman could be a useful bridge to next summer if the potential appointees Frank or McKenna are not of interest, or if somebody else is.

Appointing Van Nistelrooy would essentially buy Ineos more time, and a wider scope of the market for next summer, when a wider field of candidates could be available.

One might even be Gareth Southgate, who has expressed a desire to wait until next summer for a new job. Another is Ruben Amorim, at Sporting.

• READ: Who is Ruud van Nistelrooy? Inside the life of Man Utd legend, including his PSV management and coaching career

Appointing an interim boss is not ideal, however. Manchester United fans saw this under Ralf Rangnick, and it could suggest the club are giving up on the season. Performances could get worse and not better.

These are issues for Ineos to weigh up, amid a financial need to qualify for European football, and a new manager would have to be worth waiting for.