Van Nistelrooy, Amorim, Xavi - Manchester United next manager betting odds as Erik ten Hag sacked

Manchester United have sacked Erik ten Hag following two years and a half years in charge at Old Trafford.

The club made the announcement following their 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday afternoon with first-team coach Ruud van Nistelrooy taking temporary charge - while the search for a permanent replacement begins.

United have been sounding out candidates for several months with former Barcelona boss Xavi, Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim and Gareth Southgate among names rumoured to be in line for the job.

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There have been calls for Ten Hag to go all season long with United picking up 11 points in their first nine games - leaving them 14th in the Premier League table. This weekend's disastrous defeat was one step too far for new co- minority owners Ineos, who decided to give the Dutchman the boot after spending weeks debating.

While club legend Van Nistelrooy has been placed in temporary charge, the club could decide to go in a different direction for the permanent successor. We've taken a look at the latest odds to see who's most-likely to step into the Old Trafford hot-seat next;

Ruud van Nistelrooy (6/4)

The ex-United striker became part of Ten Hag's coaching team this summer - in what looked a clear contingency plan if he were to be shown the door.

Now that's happened, it is no surprise that his fellow countryman has been tasked with taking charge of the first-team temporarily. Aside from his stellar playing career, the 48-year-old had a brief stint in charge of Eredivisie side PSV, but departed the club after just one season citing a lack of support.

If Ineos can't find a suitable replacement for Ten Hag externally, then Van Nistelrooy might be deemed a safe pair of hands, especially if he hits the ground running.

Ruben Amorim (7/2)

Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim has been flirting with a move to the Premier League for some time. There were rumours he was in contention to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool in the summer, and he has been touted as a possible successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

He's been in charge of the Portuguese club since 2020 and guided them to a league and cup double as recently as 2021 - ending a 19-year title drought. Could he be the man to bring success back to Old Trafford?

Xavi (4/1)

United 'made contact' with the ex-Barcelona manager last week - according to reports - which might well be no coincidence given Ten Hag's sacking just a few days later.

He's been out of work since leaving the Catalan giants in the summer, and could be the perfect candidate to turn things around having become used to difficult situations during his time there. Could we potentially get to see him reunited with his mentor Guardiola in next month's derby?

Gareth Southgate (8/1)

It might be not what United supporters want to hear, but it's no secret that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a big fan of former England manager Gareth Southgate.

While his pragmatic tactics might not go down well at Old Trafford, Southgate is credited with creating a perfect dressing room atmosphere during his eight years in charge of the Three Lions. That's something United desperately needs given the turmoil in recent years.

Thomas Frank (10/1)

Frank is regarded as one of the best up-and-coming managers around and offers Premier League experience in abundance, which is something nobody else on this list has.

Would he risk his reputation by leaving such a secure role at Brentford to take on the mighty challenge at United though? The club would also be required to pay the Bees compensation for his services too which makes this deal a lot more tricky.

*Betting odds - from Bet365 - were correct at the time of writing. Subject to change.

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