The discourse surrounding Manchester United’s managerial future has intensified, with Roy Keane and Gary Neville expressing their belief that England manager Gareth Southgate could potentially succeed Erik ten Hag. The speculation has been fueled by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s recent acquisition of a minority stake in the club and United’s current position in the Premier League standings.
Moreover, Manchester United is reportedly in the process of appointing Dan Ashworth, the former Newcastle sporting director, who is currently on garden leave following his expressed desire to depart from the Magpies. Ashworth’s previous collaboration with Southgate at the Football Association adds a layer of plausibility to the conjecture regarding Southgate’s candidacy for the managerial role at United.
Speaking on Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast, former United midfielder Keane said: “I could see that happening (Southgate being the next United manager).
“Well, obviously everyone’s thinking he’s probably going to be with England this summer if he has a good (European) Championship, thinking if they could win it. And if they don’t, then maybe they’re thinking you’ve ran your race with him.
“His connection with Dan Ashworth, who he has worked with previously. Yeah, I’m not that surprised with it.”
Former Red Devils defender Neville said: “I never saw Gareth Southgate as a Manchester United manager, psychologically, I never saw that.
“I can see it now, now Dan Ashworth has come in. I just think, what does Erik ten Hag need to do to stay as Manchester United manager? So, for instance, is the FA Cup enough, or does he need to get top four, or top five, Champions League?”
Manchester United’s trajectory under Erik ten Hag has been marked by both achievements and challenges. In their first season with Ten Hag at the helm, they secured the League Cup, finished as FA Cup runners-up, and claimed third place in the league, which earned them a spot in the Champions League. However, this term they faced a setback, finishing at the bottom of their group in the continental competition.
Looking ahead, United is set to face Coventry in the FA Cup semi-finals next month. They currently trail Tottenham by six points and are nine points behind Aston Villa in the Premier League standings.
On the international stage, Gareth Southgate, who has been leading England since 2016, is preparing for the upcoming Euros in Germany. This will be England’s fourth major tournament under his guidance. Southgate’s tenure has seen England reach the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, emerge as runners-up in the European Championship in 2021, and advance to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2022. His current contract with the Football Association is set to expire in December, adding another layer of anticipation to England’s performance in this summer’s Euros.
Neville, winner of 85 England caps and a former member of the national team coaching staff under Roy Hodgson, added: “I think if Gareth is leaving, I think to be honest with you, you’ll have seen this in tournaments, but it’s never been easy.
“England will have qualifiers starting up again a couple of months after the tournament, so they’ll have to have a new manager in. And Gareth will need to sort his future out, to get a club for potentially the start of next season.
“So, I think if it’s done maturely, I can see how it would be brought forward in terms of Gareth.
“Forget Manchester United, England would need to appoint a new manager. So, they are going to have to appoint a new manager pre-tournament, probably.
“And say Gareth is going to be leaving after the tournament, unless he’s just going to leave on the last day and do it quietly, I don’t know.”