Manchester United could soon be looking at alternatives to Erik ten Hag after a rocky start to the new season was firmly underlined by a 0-3 home defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
The Dutch manager oversaw United's worst-ever Premier League campaign last season, losing 14 games and shipping 58 goals on the way to an eighth-placed finish, helped only by success in the FA Cup.
However, following another colossal summer of spending, it appears ten Hag could once again be on borrowed time with performances showing little sign of revival in the early stages of the new campaign.
Manchester United eyeing Erik ten Hag replacement
With performances declining and results failing to improve, William Hill have begun heating up their odds for the next Manchester United manager, with former England boss Gareth Southgate currently odds-on favourite.
A spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “Manchester United have made a poor start to their Premier League campaign, which was compounded by a 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool last weekend. This has seen rumours strengthen around the departure of Erik ten Hag, with Gareth Southgate shortening from 4/1 into 2/1 favourite to take over the Man Utd job.
“Mauricio Pochettino (3/1) is next in the betting, with Ruud van Nistelrooy 4/1 to take over from his current coaching position at the club. Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is 6/1 to return to Manchester United after a stint as a coach at the club."
Southgate had proven his pedigree as an elite manager during a largely successful stint as England manager, guiding the Three Lions to two European championship finals as well as a World Cup semi-final, albeit without lifting any silverware.
The former Middlesbrough manager was also praised for his fantastic work in mending the severely fractured relationship between the squad and the media, and in turn the fans.
Further down the list, former United coach Kieran McKenna sits at 4/1, while rogue shouts for Zinedine Zidane survive, coming in at 25/1 to replace the Dutchman.
More Manchester United stories
Alan Shearer responds to calls for boxing fight with Roy Keane
Erik ten Hag admits he didn’t want Manchester United transfer to happen
Manchester United confirm academy graduate has left, in big-money move to Europe
