A long time coming

While Erik ten Hag survived a couple of rocky spells in his first few seasons as Manchester United manager, he finally got his marching orders after his side’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham United on Sunday.

The team is now in 14th place in the English Premier League (EPL), with ten Hag’s assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy taking over on an interim basis.

took over in April 2022, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup last season

Manchester United thanked the Dutchman for his efforts in its announcement and wished him the best of luck in the future. He took over in April 2022, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup last season.

Attention now turns to who might take over from him permanently. Here’s a look at some of the current favorites on Betfred:

• Ruud van Nistelrooy (-120)
• Xavi Hernandez (+300)
• Gareth Southgate (+500)
• Julien Nageslmann (+600)
• Ruben Amorim (+700)
• Thomas Frank (+1000)
• Graham Potter (+1200)
• Kieran McKenna (+1600)

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Since the club legend came on board as ten Hag’s assistant during the summer, fans have touted van Nistelrooy as the successor if his boss got the sack.

He impressed during his single season in charge of PSV, leading them to second place in the Eredivisie, as well as winning the Johan Cruyff Shield and KNVB Cup (similar format to the FA Cup).

van Nistelrooy will have a few games to prove himself worthy of taking over

United executives likely won’t rush into a decision about a permanent manager, so van Nistelrooy will have a few games to prove himself worthy of taking over, similar to the opportunity afforded to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Xavi

The iconic midfielder is currently without a team after his tumultuous time leading Barcelona came to an end last season. He blooded a lot of exciting young talent at Barcelona, giving opportunities to young guns like Gavi, Pedri, and Lamine Yamal.

His relationship with senior executives at the club soured, which ultimately rubber-stamped his departure despite winning an unlikely La Liga in 2022-2023.

Alex Ferguson tried in vain to sign Xavi when he was a player, so he could get the stamp of approval from the club’s most successful manager of all time.

Ruben Amorim

Amorim has built a strong reputation for himself for his performances in charge of Sporting Lisbon. The 39-year-old led his side to two Portuguese league titles and was in strong contention for the Liverpool job before Arne Slot ultimately took over from Jurgen Klopp.

helped Lisbon become the top dog in Portugal once again after almost two decades

Amorim helped Lisbon become the top dog in Portugal once again after almost two decades in the shadow of Porto and Benfica, something that United fans would crave following the recent success of its city rivals. While United might have to pay a hefty compensation fee to lure Amorim from his contract, he is definitely well in contention.

Gareth Southgate

After leaving the England job following Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate has heavily been tipped as a potential future Manchester United manager.

The 54-year-old transformed England into a gritty team that was hard to beat in major tournaments, leading them to two finals, including a penalty shootout loss in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.

While his conservative style and unwillingness to switch up his team selection led to frustration during his final months as England manager, Southgate is seen as a diplomatic candidate who knows the English game well and creates a good atmosphere in a playing group, something that United has missed since the Ferguson era.

Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank transformed Brentford from a struggling Championship team when he took over in 2018 into a stable Premier League team. He has consistently risen to every new challenge and is linked to any big vacancies that pop up.

success in developing players has proven valuable for his club

His experience in the English scene would be invaluable as he is more of a known entity in that regard than others on this list. His success in developing players has proven valuable for his club, making do with limited resources.

Dave Brailsford was appointed during the summer to overhaul United’s structure and culture, and he appears to be friendly with Frank – Frank attended Brailsford’s birthday party in March – so it could be a match made in heaven.

Once again, a significant compensation fee would likely be necessary to lure the Denmark native from his current contract.