No matter what you might think about Erik ten Hag’s tactics, the embattled Manchester United boss has certainly carried himself with dignity throughout his Old Trafford spell.
He has largely strayed clear of the sort of flashpoints which beset the Louis van Gaal or Jose Mourinho eras, the latter in particular barely missing an opportunity to lay the blame for the club’s struggles at the doorstep of his Old Trafford superiors.
And former chairman-turned-pundit Simon Jordan feels that the similarities between Mourinho and the similarly-sharp tongued Thomas Tuchel may have Manchester United straying clear of a man who, if basing it on his CV and his trophy collection alone, is clearly the most qualified candidate to take over from Erik Ten Hag in the Red Devils dugout.
For all of Ten Hag’s faults, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co can probably sleep easily knowing they are not going to wake up to their reputations being cast in question by their own head coach.
Will Manchester United consider Thomas Tuchel
“There is no doubt, in a cup competition which features the elite clubs, he does well,” ex-Crystal Palace chief Jordan tells talkSPORT (1 May, 10.30am) of a man who guided Chelsea to Champions League glory and is potentially just 180 minutes away from repeating the trick with Bayern Munich.
“I would suggest that, if he were perhaps a slightly more palatable individual, you wouldn’t find him being jettisoned from big football clubs that find themselves in a situation where you’ve got Chelsea fans saying; ‘Why did we get rid of him?’.”
Why, indeed? It’s not as if Chelsea have blossomed in the post-Tuchel era, from European champions to the bottom half of the Premier League in just two years.
According to Goal, a strained relationship between the German and Chelsea owner Todd Boehly played a big part in his dismissal, both men ‘clashing regularly’ and Tuchel unhappy with the Clearlake boss’ influence in recruitment.
There appeared to be similar issues at Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, while the build up to Bayern’s 202 draw with Real Madrid on Tuesday was dominated by an unseemly row between Tuchel and club legend and honorary president Uli Hoeness.
Given that Ineos seem keen to take power of recruitment away from the manager and towards a designated behind-the-scenes, it is not difficult to imagine a repeat scenario arising at Old Trafford.
Chelsea sacked Tuchel after breakdown in relations
“I like people who push the envelope. I like people who don’t accept things because that’s the conventional wisdom. But I also like people who, with due respect, know their place!,” adds Jordan, who worked with his fair share of forceful managers at Crystal Palace and likens Tuchel’s personality to that of Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
“I mean that Thomas Tuchel would respect order and respect from his players. If his players were disrespectful, he’d soon have something to say about it. And I wonder why that doesn’t manifest itself in his relationship when he has to manage up.
“I don’t think there is ever a parallel universe where Liverpool would take Thomas Tuchel as their manager. Absolutely not. I don’t think Manchester United would take him, I don’t think Arsenal (or) Manchester City would take him.
“Look at the reality of what Tuchel can or can’t be. I think he divides. He doesn’t create unity, he divides. There is no doubt he is a very, very capable football manager. But modern-day managers have to be just a tad bit more than that.”
Tuchel will leave Bayern in the summer despite there being a petition circulated among some supporters demanding he be kept on. One of nearly 20 managers linked with the Man United post, Tuchel looks set to be replaced at the Allianz Arena by former Red Devils boss Ralf Rangnick.