LA LIGA BOSS ‘INSTANTLY REJECTS’ MAN UTD OFFER TO REPLACE TEN HAG AS HE REFUSES TO ‘BETRAY’ MAN CITY

Girona boss Michel has rejected the chance to replace Erik ten Hag at Man Utd at the end of the season, according to reports.

The Red Devils threw away a three-goal lead in their FA Cup semi-final against Championship side Coventry City at Wembley on Sunday after Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes had given them a comfy lead.

But goals from Ellis Simms, Callum O’Hare and Haji Wright saw Mark Robins’ side stage a brilliant comeback to take it to extra-time and then penalties.

Ten Hag pressure increasing after Coventry performance

Man Utd eventually won the penalty shoot-out but it failed to hide another poor performance from Ten Hag’s side as the Dutchman battles for his job.

The seventh-placed Red Devils have won just one of their last seven matches in the Premier League, while they crashed out of Europe by finishing bottom of their Champions League group before Christmas.

That has seen pressure grow on Ten Hag over results and there has also been criticism of a lack of an obvious playing style with Rio Ferdinand recently labelling it “kamikaze chaos football”.

And now Spanish newspaper Nacional insist that Man Utd are ‘looking for a replacement for’ Ten Hag with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe making it ‘clear that the Dutchman is not the right person to lead the project they are preparing at Old Trafford’.

That has led them to Girona’s door with Man Utd ‘initiating contacts’ to Michel to Old Trafford but the Spaniard ‘instantly rejected’ the Red Devils’ advances.

Michel has done an incredible job at Girona, guiding them to third in the La Liga table with six matches to play, but he ‘will not move this summer’ as he ‘prefers to wait’ for the Man City job to come up.

With it currently unclear whether Pep Guardiola will leave Man City in 2025 or renew his contract, Michel ‘does not want to betray’ the Citizens by moving to Man Utd in a deal that ‘would prevent him from landing at the Etihad Stadium’.

Alan Shearer: Even if Man Utd win the FA Cup I think he’s gone

It is still unclear whether Ten Hag will definitely leave Man Utd in the summer, but former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer reckons “he’s gone” even if he wins the FA Cup.

Shearer told the Rest Is Football podcast: “I think the future of the Manchester United manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone. I don’t think it matters whether they win the FA Cup for his future.

“That may be sad, that may be wrong but I just get the feeling that winning the FA Cup is not going to be enough for him. When you look at the players, when you look at the attitude, where they are in the league and all those things: Where they want to be, where they want to go, in a quick time I think he’s already gone.”

But former Man Utd defender Gary Neville reckons it would be “extreme” to sack Ten Hag if he beats Man City in the FA Cup final.

Neville said on Sky Sports: “My view would be that if he won the FA Cup and he won a trophy last season, to sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.

“Winning trophies can never ever be underestimated. If you’ve got a knack for winning trophies and you just get through things I don’t think you can dismiss that.

“There’s a good chance they (INEOS) would (sack Ten Hag). They’ve wiped everything else out at the top of the club and if he wins a trophy and it’s two trophies on the bounce, that’s tough.”

2024-04-24T15:32:29Z dg43tfdfdgfd