Liverpool’s Arne Slot interest speaks volumes about Man United’s challenge in next manager hunt

There are three questions that must be asked when a club decides to sack a manager; could things get worse under the current regime? Is there anyone better? Are they attainable?

If the answer is yes to all three then that makes a decision much simpler, but rarely do clubs consider past the last question. At the time of Erik ten Hag’s appointment, few were perceived better for the job and he was somewhat easily attainable.

Now, Ten Hag’s stock has slipped and many supporters would feel there are better options out there. Perhaps the best question to ask is indeed regarding who is the most attainable successor.

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Zinedine Zidane would squirm at the prospect of clasping hold of what has been a poisoned chalice over the last decade, Unai Emery has just signed a new deal at Aston Villa and woe to the man who moots a Jose Mourinho return.

The next United manager has to befit the new hierarchy system at Old Trafford and all three would likely incur friction at some point. Finding the right man is not an easy task and time is needed, which is why Sir Jim Ratcliffe will need to make a decision on Ten Hag soon.

If he is dismissed, United would be competing with Liverpool and Bayern Munich this summer in the managerial merry-go-round, and the recent developments at Anfield show how difficult the appointment process can be.

After Xabi Alonso announced he was staying at Bayer Leverkusen, Ruben Amorim was linked with a move to Liverpool but that prospect now looks off the cards. The club are now turning to Feyenoord manager Arne Slot, who has a respectable but poorer Dutch trophy haul than Erik ten Hag.

This is a club which has won five trophies in as many years and has reached three Champions League finals in the last six, yet it is targeting a coach who has won one elite domestic title and cup apiece to succeed Jurgen Klopp.

The draw of a global entity such as United and Liverpool would turn the head of any manager but while the platform offers an opportunity for stardom, it also presents the risk of worldwide humiliation if things go wrong. A strong character is needed.

Despite their FA Cup final appearance, United are odds on to go into the summer with just one trophy in seven years - last year's League Cup. Those perhaps looking to be Ten Hag’s successor will not be put off by the lack of trophies thanks to the new hierarchy.

United’s dearth of silverware has been largely blamed on the internal structure of the club but that has now been ripped up with a new system in place.

INEOS and Ratcliffe will be determined to recruit the right manager first time, and act quickly if things do go south - decisions that will play a massive part in how their operations are initially judged. That’s the kind of pressure any new United boss will face.

But will the new co-owners be able to find the right manager this summer? The names of Graham Potter, Roberto De Zerbi and Gareth Southgate have been linked with the job but all three carry risks.

Potter struggled under the intensity of Todd Boehly at Chelsea, De Zerbi has never managed an ‘elite’ outfit and Southgate’s last and only job in club management was 15 years ago. The big names are not always the most applicable.

Amorim and departing Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel are two options United could explore but, again, both like transfer control which inevitably incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth would not cede.

Liverpool have been forced to search the periphery of Europe to find their preferred candidate and United may find themselves having to do the same thing if Ten Hag is given the can.