Zinedine Zidane hands Man United uncomfortable truth as Sir Jim Ratcliffe backed over missed trick

The shadow of Zinedine Zidane continues to loom over Erik ten Hag. The issue of who should be the next manager of Manchester United remains one which will continue to be discussed unless results improve dramatically..

Ten Hag's future as United boss has been the subject of intense speculation over recent months. The Reds have just eight points from their first seven fixtures in the Premier League and go into the weekend in 14th place in the top-flight standings.

Rumours increased on Ten Hag's future following 3-0 home defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur last month. There was intense speculation that the Dutchman could be sacked during the international break, but Ten Hag remains in charge heading into Saturday's Premier League clash against Brentford at Old Trafford.

It's further support from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos for the 52-year-old, who was handed a contract extension in the summer. However, in a fresh survey this week ran by MEN Sport, only 11 per cent of supporters felt he should remain in the hotseat.

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In contrast, Zidane received 30 per cent of the vote, receiving almost three times the amount of votes as Ten Hag. The Frenchman has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in 2021 and has been heavily linked with taking the United job ever since his exit from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Whether or not the legendary former midfielder is the right man for the job is up for debate. A sensational player, who won the World Cup with France, he then picked up multiple Champions Leagues as manager of Madrid, but while his laissez faire leadership style worked with the Galacticos, the issues at United run deeper. A dressing room short on confidence and in certain parts, ability, would present a different challenge.

Zidane, it must be said, has shown no desire to move to the Premier League. Three years out of the game indicates he isn't interested in moving to England, and it is well reported that he doesn't speak the language. On top of that, the decision-makers at Ineos are also showing no signs of trying to entice him to Old Trafford.

That hasn't stopped MEN readers identifying Zidane as the man they feel can reawaken the slumbering giant. It would be an exciting appointment but the uncomfortable truth is that, should Ten Hag leave, there will be other managers higher on the shortlist.

Thomas Tuchel was the one that United eyed closely, holding talks with him in the summer and then again identifying him as the best solution until England came calling. MEN Sport also asked United fans if they missed a trick by not appointing Tuchel before he was confirmed as the new Three Lions boss. With 55 per cent of the vote, the majority of supporters believe United were right not to hire Tuchel as a replacement for Ten Hag.

Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim is second with 14 per cent of the vote. Amorim was linked with taking the job at Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham in the summer but has remained in Portugal, and reports in recent days have even suggested he could be a successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

United assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy is next in the vote with 12 per cent, while Brentford manager Thomas Frank received 10 per cent of the vote. Frank, who has seen his odds come in on taking over at Old Trafford, will be in the opposite dugout to Ten Hag on Saturday.

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