Thomas Tuchel backed to succeed Erik ten Hag by Man Utd icon: 'He'd be perfect fit'
Erik ten Hag's future as Man Utd boss is uncertain, with Old Trafford legend Peter Schmeichel convinced Thomas Tuchel would be the right fit should a change be made
by David McDonnell · The MirrorPeter Schmeichel reckons Thomas Tuchel would be the right fit for Manchester United should Erik ten Hag get the sack.
Ten Hag’s job is on the line after United’s worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign, which has left them down in 14th in the table.
United have on just two of their opening seven league fixtures, managed to score only five goals and have a goal difference of minus three.
Ten Hag's struggling side have also made an underwhelming start to their Europa League campaign, drawing 1-1 at home to FC Twente and 3-3 away to Porto - after blowing a 2-0 lead.
Against that backdrop, Ten Hag is fighting to keep his job, but appears to have been given the green light to carry on – for now at least – following a United board meeting in London on Tuesday.
United legend Schmeichel, a hero of the club's historic 1999 Treble triumph, thinks Tuchel would be the right man to follow Ten Hag, should the new hierarch decide change is required.
“I think with Tuchel and the last two jobs that he had at Chelsea and Bayern Munich, he's been at those two clubs at the wrong time in their history,” said Schmeichel.
“Chelsea was a mess when he was there and there was so much internal fighting. There's new owners coming in and so many things were happening with Bayern.
“The same thing, they changed the whole board of directors, they changed the whole leadership of the club. They lasted for one year and that was precisely the year that he was there.
“I really like Tuchel. Being around the Champions League and interviewing him, listening to what he's saying when he's in the technical area, and his personality, he just looks like somebody who could be a good manager at Manchester United.
“I don't think he had his way at Chelsea. I know for sure he didn't have his way at Bayern. I just think he's got such a great aura around him that he fits a bill. But Ten Hag is still the manager, and for as long as he's a manager, as a fan I will support him, because I want the club to do well.
“I don't want Manchester United to be that football club that changes the manager all the time. I don't think it suits the club. You can see what happened at Arsenal once you stuck by one.
“Slowly, slowly, slowly, he gets it into what he wants it to be and all of a sudden you've been title contenders for two years, and then you're maybe favourites this season.”
Asked if Ten Hag is the right manager for United, Schmeichel said: “I don't know, to be completely honest. I don't think the new leadership in the club think that he's the one, because why would then they go and interview other managers during the summer?
“Even today, there are massive stories about Tuchel. In order for anything to work at that level that United is supposed to be at, everybody has to work together and they all have to support each other, believe in each other. If you have somebody above Ten Hag who's not sure about his capability, then it's a problem.
“There were opportunities last season, if they wanted to change the manager. Those were very, very big opportunities, not only to do that as a practical thing, but also to send messages to everybody who loves United that this is the way that we are going. They didn't take it. So I think I'm as confused as everybody else about it.
“Ten Hag, he does say that he's winning trophies, he won the League Cup two years ago, won the FA Cup last season, but that's not really what we, as United supporters, want. We want to win the Premier League, we want to be in contention.
“If we finish as runners-up and in a tight race, that's much better for us, because that means that we're up there and also means that we're in the Champions League and not the Europa League.
“It's been like this not just in the era of Ten Hag, it's been like this since Sir Alex left the club. It's been very up and down. We've had coaches in with different ideas, managing the club in ways that probably wasn't suitable and the way that United internally see themselves."
*Peter Schmeichel was speaking to the Seaman Says podcast via Betway.
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