Man Utd 'have reservations' about Thomas Tuchel after talks with two rival managers

Manchester United are said to have reservations over appointing Thomas Tuchel as their new manager should Erik ten Hag be axed. The Red Devils have already reportedly held discussions with representatives of Thomas Frank and Mauricio Pochettino over the position.

Ten Hag has endured a tough second season in the north west and could only lead his side to an eighth-place Premier League finish following a record 14 defeats.

But the Dutchman did help the Red Devils stun Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday as they overcame their neighbours 2-1 at Wembley.

Recent reports have suggested that Ten Hag is in line to lose his job irrespective of the FA Cup final result. And Tuchel is one name being linked with the role should it become available.

But according to The Telegraph, there are reservations at Old Trafford about whether Tuchel is the right fit for them at this moment.

The German, who guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021, was handed the reins at Bayern Munich in March last year but saw his team finish a staggering 18 points behind Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen this season. The Bavarians could only muster third position.

In February, it was announced that Tuchel would be leaving Bayern at the end of the campaign. And after talks around a U-turn broke down, the 50-year-old told the media just over a week ago: “There were talks, but we didn’t reach an agreement so the decision of February still stands.

“The feedback from recent weeks was the foundation for us having a discussion to stay and continue together, but we couldn’t reach an agreement. I won’t name the reasons. I am leaving Bayern.”

Tuchel is said to be confident of replacing Ten Hag in the Old Trafford dugout, but faces a battle with Brentford boss Frank and former Chelsea coach Pochettino to land the job.

Frank has seen his pedigree rise during his six-year spell with the Bees after keeping his team in the Premier League for three campaigns since guiding them to promotion from the Championship in 2021. Pochettino, meanwhile, left Chelsea earlier in the week, despite overseeing a fine run of form during the second half of the campaign.

United chiefs are continuing to explore their options and will determine Ten Hag’s fate this week when they conduct a season review.

And they have also held talks in the last week with Kieran McKenna’s representatives. McKenna worked as a United coach under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, before leading Ipswich from League One to the Premier League via back-to-back promotions.