Erik ten Hag has been given a stay of execution after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s reported pick for the job, Gareth Southgate, distanced himself from the role.
Ten Hag’s future has been at the centre of a performance review which has taken place since the end of a season that saw United finish a lowly eighth in the Premier League and crash out of the Champions League in the group phase.
Crucially, Ten Hag’s squad ended an injury-ravaged campaign by beating Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final. It was thought that still may not be enough to extend the former Ajax boss’ two-year reign.
United’s football department, led by joint-owner Ratcliffe, looked at potential alternatives, including Southgate, before deciding to stick with Ten Hag, who is in line for a new contract. According to multiple reports, the England boss, an ally of incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth, was Ratcliffe’s first choice.
However, with Southgate unwilling to engage in talks until after Euro 2024, a move for the former Middlesbrough boss proved to be a non-starter. When quizzed on being linked with the Red Devils’ job, Southgate insisted it has not been a distraction.
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“I’ve got one thing to focus on,” he told ITV earlier this year. “That’s having as successful a tournament with England as possible. Everything else outside of that is a complete irrelevance to me.”
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Meanwhile, he told the BBC last month: “Well, for me, it's not an issue and never has been. I have to deliver a successful tournament for England and there's enough work involved in that. I think everybody would expect that's where my focus should be.
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Gareth Southgate has been quizzed about the Manchester United job (The FA via Getty Images)“There will always be speculation about managers because if you lose a couple of games, you're in trouble – you win a couple of games and it is a different agenda.
“But for me, it [Euro 2024] is a brilliant opportunity. We're looking forward to the tournament. My focus is on how do we go a step further than we went in the last Euros?”
However, Southgate, who is keen to return to club management one day, could be on the market in a matter of weeks if he decides to step down after the tournament. If he does, and if United make a slow start to next season, speculation linking him to Old Trafford will resurface.
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