Ten Hag brutally told when Man Utd sack will arrive as insider confirms top choice to replace him

Erik ten Hag has reportedly been told that he has just two games to spare himself from the Manchester United sack and that defeat in their those matches could prove fatal, while an insider has confirmed the name on standby to succeed him in the hot-seat.

Little has gone right for Ten Hag this season with Manchester United having won just two of their seven Premier League games to date. Currently sat in 14th place and nearer the relegation zone, points and position-wise, than they are the top four, the Dutchman has come under serious pressure in recent weeks.

A meeting in London last week of United’s executive board members had the future of Ten Hag right at the top of the agenda. And while he has managed to avoid the axe for now, the Dutchman is not out of the woods yet and he has been warned that an instant improvement is now required.

According to a new report by Football Insider, the 54-year-old now has just two games to save his job – and defeat at home to Brentford on Saturday and away at Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday will likely spell the end.

The report adds that Ten Hag is now ‘clinging on’ to his job and that the sack will be ‘inevitable’ if their form does not turn around and defeat arrives in their next two games.

Former Old Trafford chief scout Mick Brown has also revealed how he has been informed that former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has been lined up to take charge if the axe falls.

“He seems to be everybody’s first choice at the moment,” Brown told Football Insider. “It’s certainly a possibility and I’ve heard Man Utd are lining him up as their top target if they do decide to sack Ten Hag.

“I think they’ll look to bring somebody in with winning experience at the top level so that they can come in and really make a difference.

“But they also need somebody who can deal with their issues off the field as well.

“He is definitely one of their options, but it will depend on whether he feels he wants to take the United job because he might have more attractive offers by that stage.”

IN-DEPTH ~ Next Man Utd manager: EVERY single option tipped to replace increasingly doomed Ten Hag

Ten Hag sack: Man Utd axe just a matter of time as Ratcliffe plan is made clear

The latest from Football Insider tallies exactly with what we have consistently reported in that Ten Hag is effectively a dead man walking at Old Trafford and with sources indicating to us that it is just a matter of time before the axe falls.

We were also first to break the news that Tuchel has been installed at their first choice target, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s recently rekindling talks with the German and with a new belief that he is now ready to take charge. It is also our understanding that, contrary to reports over the summer, Tuchel rejected them at the time – feeling he needed to take a break from the game after his recent dismissal by Bayern Munich – rather than United turning their back on him.

Either way, United reluctantly decided to stay loyal to Ten Hag at the time, offering him a new one-year deal through to summer 2026.

However, as we reported at the time, the fact he was not offered a longer deal was indicative of their doubts over his suitability to turn their form around. And with the club’s bleak start to the season now staring them in the face, they face the embarrassing decision of having to remove him from his post – and paying him significant compensation in the process – just a matter of weeks later.

Ratcliffe’s failure to publicly back Ten Hag before last week’s meeting is also significant and we understand he made clear he wanted the Dutchman removed from the hot seat when meeting his fellow directors, though ultimately placing that decision into the hands of (chief executive) Omar Berrada and (sporting director) Dan Ashworth.

Ten Hag himself has continued to put on a brave and resilient face in the wake of rising claims he faces the sack, insisting his relationship with the club remains strong and they ‘continue to talk every day’.

Man Utd round-up: Zidane wants classy Spanish star as first signing

Tuchel is not the only man being linked with the United hotseat and a report on Monday revealed director Jean-Claude Blanc believes the Red Devils still have a chance of appointing Zinedine Zidane were an approach to be made.

The France icon has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid for the second time in 2021 and has been waiting for the right opportunity to get back into the game.

Now it’s suggested he is open to an approach from United with a further report claiming Zidane had demanded a classy LaLiga defender as his first signing were he to take charge.

Meanwhile, a trusted source also claims Red Devils are plotting a fresh double raid on Bayern Munich in 2025 for Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka as Ashworth looks to add additional quality to the side.

The experienced pair have racked up 122 Germany caps between them and would bring a wealth of experience to the side – and with a deal for the first of them potentially slotted for the January window.

Elsewhere, Paul Gascoigne has remarkably told United to forget all of Ten Hag, Tuchel and Zidane with the re-appointment of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who is now 82.

IN FOCUS: Tuchel and Ten Hag records compared