Next Man Utd manager: Massive update on Gary O’Neil move as Ratcliffe ‘passes buck’ on Ten Hag sack

Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag is under threat of the sack with Gary O'Neil, inset, tipped as a possible successor
Manchester United have been told to forget any prospects of Gary O’Neil quitting Wolves to become part of a new coaching set-up at Old Trafford, while a startling new report has provided details on exactly who will make the final decision on giving Erik ten Hag the sack.
Ten Hag made a sizeable impression in his first season the helm, guiding Manchester United to a third-placed finish in the Premier League and two cup final appearances, with success coming their way in the Carabao Cup. However, little has gone right during the the Dutchman’s second season at the helm, with the Red Devils failing to find any consistency and being engulfed by a number of difficult issues.
And with the club crashing embarrassingly out of the Champions League at the first hurdle, and having already slipping to an unacceptable 11 defeats in the Premier League this season, the pressure dial has been firmly cranked up on Ten Hag, who finds himself the subject of some intense speculation over his future.
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Indeed, sources have informed TEAMtalk that plenty at the club already feel Ten Hag is a dead man walking and only success in the FA Cup – where they face Championship Coventry for a place in the final – as well as qualification once again for the Champions League potentially saving his bacon.
As a result, speculation has ramped up significantly about who new minority investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe could turn to as his successor.
Man Utd told to forget any chance of luring Wolves boss Gary O’Neil
And in recent days, that hunt appears to have been whittled down to one candidate in particular with a report claiming United’s top stars were behind his apparent plan to install England coach Gareth Southgate as their next manager.
Southgate has done his best to distance himself from the speculation, both pointing out his commitment to the Three Lions’ cause and their push to win the 2024 European Championships, as well as underlining how disrespectful it would be for him to talk about a job that is currently occupied by someone else.
Nonetheless, in recent days it’s suggested that, as part of a new-look coaching set-up, United could also look to bring in Wolves manager O’Neil as part of the team.
The 40-year-old has earned many admirers in the game for convincingly steering Bournemouth to safety last season and then, this year, getting a Wolves side upwardly mobile and potentially dreaming of European qualification.
However, the Express & Star journalist Liam Keen claims the Red Devils have emphatically denied they are looking at O’Neil and are keen to stress they are not yet considering life after Ten Hag.
Those claims are also backed up by Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs, who has made clear their plans to tie their boss down to a new deal.
O’Neil’s current arrangement runs to summer 2026 but plans are already in place to extend that as Hobbs explained: “That’s naturally where this is going. He’s done well enough to have that conversation.
“Part of that will be the plan for the club, and that’s where you have to have honest conversations about what it looks like going forward.
“That is an inevitable situation we find ourselves in this summer, for sure, but let’s not talk about it at the moment. Let’s keep an eye on what we’re trying to do. We want to finish the season well.”
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Ten Hag sack: Ratcliffe passes buck on Man Utd decision
Despite denials that Ten Hag’s position is not currently under review, former stars Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand have both publicly shared their belief that the Dutchman is effectively on trial between now and the end of the season.
As such, while Ten Hag’s position remains in review, it seems a fair assessment that a decision on his future – and given his current deal is due to expire in summer 2025 – will be taken once the current campaign ends. Reaching his objectives in the meantime will likely have a huge say on his chances of staying on next season and beyond.
Nonetheless, with his position still far from certain, a report in the Manchester Evening News claims Ratcliffe, despite holding full sporting control at Old Trafford, will ‘pass the buck’ on deciding whether to fire Ten Hag at the season’s end.
Instead, they claim the decision will be passed on to the club’s new CEO, Omar Berrada, who recently moved to Old Trafford from neighbours Manchester City.
Branded as the Old Trafford ‘Kingmaker’, it’s claimed Ratcliffe will leave the final decision on whether to stick or twist over Ten Hag to Berrada, who will take up his position on a full-time basis once the current campaign comes to an end.
Neville also reckons that impressing Berrada will prove key if Ten Hag is to remain in the hotseat as he told Sky Sports: “If you look at [Omar Berrada] coming in from City as CEO, and looking to get Dan Ashworth from Newcastle, they’re going to make a decision quite quickly if they haven’t already.
“I suspect Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dave Brailsford already know whether Erik ten Hag will be the manager next season. I can’t believe they’re going to wait until May to make that decision, and then leave themselves short.
“Where Man Utd have been found out in the last 10 years in recruitment is making poor decisions, late decisions, not being ahead of the game.”
Ten Hag currently has a 60.78 win percentage record at United, having triumphed in 62 of his 102 matches in charge. However, it is the 28 matches in the ‘L’ column which arguably cast the biggest shadow over his reign.
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