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Erik ten Hag’s job security at Manchester United is a topic that will dominate the papers till the end of the season.
While recent reports indicate that he will remain on the touchline till the FA Cup final at the very least, the case for him to be there any longer is weakening with each bad result.
Simultaneously, the case for potential replacements becomes stronger as a byproduct of that happening.
The potential replacement that has caught the most fire in the last few days has been Thomas Tuchel.
The German is leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season and after heartbreakingly close elimination at the hands of Real Madrid, has nothing to play for.
Add to that Bayern’s interest in Ten Hag, and it could be a case of the two clubs effectively swapping managers, although the wisdom behind that is debatable.
Tuchel, meanwhile, is doing nothing to pour water on those flames and if anything, only fanning it further.
The German recently said the Premier League was special for him and before the start of this game, his interaction with United legend Rio Ferdinand has the social media ablaze.
In the buildup to the fixture, Tuchel broke ranks and came to greet Ferdinand where the pair exchanged a few words away from the view of the camera.
Agent Rio… 👀🤵@rioferdy5 and Thomas Tuchel catch-up ahead of a crucial #UCL tie.
🎙 @laura_woodsy pic.twitter.com/s8sucoIaaD
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 8, 2024
When Ferdinand was asked what he talked about, he said he wished Tuchel luck for the game but remained tight-lipped on United prospects.
While it would be a reach to say that they talked about United before Bayern’s biggest game of the season, the optics of Tuchel doing so are hard to ignore.
Now that Bayern are out of all competitions and his exit sealed, the story might pick up pace soon, especially with Ten Hag himself facing four tough fixture before the end of the season.
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