Man Utd staff 'think Steve McClaren could take over from Erik ten Hag' with players expecting axe to fall

The result means United are stuck in eighth, with rivals Chelsea, Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal all ahead of them.

McClaren has been working alongside Ten Hag since the 54-year-old was appointed as manager back in the summer of 2022.

And the Daily Mail say some United staff have 'suggested' that McClaren could step in as caretaker if the situation continues to deteriorate.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who recently acquired a minority stake in the club, hasn't given Ten Hag a public vote of confidence.

And with Sir Dave Brailsford's conversations with players focused on changing the culture at the club, players have assumed Ten Hag 'no longer figures in Ratcliffe's plans'.

This has reportedly impacted their response to instructions in matches and in training.

And with squad members expecting Ten Hag to be sacked, it just seems a case of when instead of if he actually leaves his position.

Ten Hag has been involved in plans for pre-season and insists his players are behind him.

INEOS would like him to stay in charge until the summer, especially with the club due to face Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup later this month.

However, it'll be intriguing to see how the situation plays out.

Thomas Tuchel is one man keen on taking over, with the German set to leave Bayern Munich.

Tuchel's combative nature could count against him, however, with the 50-year-old involved in arguments at Bayern, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain over the course of his career.

Julian Nagelsmann and Gareth Southgate are currently focused on their roles with Germany and England respectively.

And other contenders to replace Ten Hag include Ruben Amorim, Graham Potter, Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank.

Amorim had been linked with Liverpool but the Reds are set to hire Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp's replacement instead.

Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea last year.

And while De Zerbi and Frank have worked wonders at Brighton and Brentford respectively, both managers would carry an element of risk.

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Meanwhile, regarding McClaren, both Paul Scholes and Michael Owen recently suggested the 63-year-old would be a good option to replace Ten Hag on a temporary basis.

"We've played under Steve. He's coached us. There's no way his fingerprints are anywhere near that team. He's a brilliant coach. And that team is not being coached at all. No way," said Owen.

"There is no way on earth that he has anything to do with coaching that team. It's impossible.

"Because that team is absolutely clueless right the way through it. There's not one thing where I think that works in that team.

"I don't rate anything about it. Anything. And Steve McClaren is a top operator. I can only think there's other people coaching the first team and he's a bystander."

And Scholes added: "He is not touching that team.

"The manager must not be letting him touch that team because everyone thinks we were a great team that attacked everybody but sometimes we played better teams and Steve McClaren put sessions on to make sure you stopped other teams.

"Getting distances and angles right, especially across midfield.

"He has got no impression on that team. He's the best coach I ever had."