08 March 2024 , 06:00
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Over a fortnight has passed since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s co-ownership was confirmed but his era in charge of football operations at Old Trafford has not really begun.
It will begin when chief executive Omar Berrada is allowed out of his garden and into his new office. It will begin when Dan Ashworth is on board, it will begin when a couple of new recruitment figures are signed up, it will begin when Sir Dave Brailsford gets settled into his new role. In short, it will begin once the final ball of a hugely underwhelming season is kicked - probably into touch if this United team is true to form.
That is when Ratcliffe and his expensively-assembled committee of chiefs will decide whether or not Erik ten Hag is the coach to head up his project. And as good a job as Ten Hag did last season and as sound a character he seems, it is, quite frankly, hard to see Ratcliffe sticking with Erik.
Harsh - but Ten Hag is not Ratcliffe’s man, he is not Brailsford’s man, not Ashworth’s man, not Berrada’s man. So, who will succeed Ten Hag? If the United job does become available, it will not be the only marquee managerial role up for grabs. Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona all need a new head coach.
There might be the odd name on all of those clubs’ shortlists but that odd name is unlikely to be Gareth Southgate. Let’s face it, if fan reaction was a deciding factor, Southgate would probably not be getting an elite club job any time soon.
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Southgate is an outstanding England manager but still gets pelters from the man and woman on the street because of what is perceived as a conservative approach. Rightly, he would call it a winning approach. And while instinct suggests Southgate would not be an obvious fit for United, a more careful analysis says otherwise.
There are the obvious connections, for starters, Southgate and Ashworth having worked together for the Football Association. Brailsford has also had dealings with Southgate. Ratcliffe has made it clear he wants his coach to have a close relationship with the various directors in his football operation and Southgate is the sort to play ball with that type of idea.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is making a raft of key appointments at Old Trafford (Manchester United)He can play the political game. More crucially, though, Southgate’s reputation as a motivator of players has grown immensely during his time as England manager. Yes, players on international duty are bound to talk highly of the man who has given them that honour but the respect and warmth for Southgate is widespread and genuinely felt.
In three attempts, Southgate has not won a tournament with England but a World Cup semi-final and quarter-final and a Euro final is not a bad return. He has lost only 14 of his 91 games as England manager.
His spell in club management at Middlesbrough did not go too well but that was a decade and a half ago. Of course, Southgate is focusing on this summer’s Euros and a poor England showing would make him an even more unpopular choice as a successor to Ten Hag, should the Dutchman leave.
But you suspect Ratcliffe is not the sort of character to be swayed by public opinion. And don’t be surprised if, sooner or later, Southgate is his man.
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