"Don’t see anything that goes against him" - Louis Saha names 'fantastic' replacement for Ten Hag at Manchester United
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has backed Zinedine Zidane to be the new manager at Old Trafford should Erik ten Hag be sacked at the end of the current campaign.
Ten Hag has had a bittersweet time at the Old Trafford club. While The Red Devils managed a Champions League spot at the end of last season, their only win in six group-stage matches came against FA Copenhagen.
United managed to reach the final of the FA Cup, albeit by the slimmest margins. However, a second consecutive spot in the final of the domestic cup doesn't guarantee Ten Hag a place in the club, if reports are to be believed.
Louis Saha believes that Zidane, who has only managed Real Madrid in his rather short but otherwise wholesome managerial career, is fit to replace Erik ten Hag. While speaking to Betfred, the Frenchman stated:
"For a few years I’ve said that Zidane would be a fantastic appointment for the club. There’s no negatives about it. We all know that his dream job is with the French national team, but we don’t know if he may have to wait a while for that position to become available."
Saha stated that the former Real Madrid player would definitely inspire the players, adding that everyone admires him for his accomplishments as both a player and a manager. He said:
"He can speak a bit of English, so that would be helpful. I don’t see anything that goes against him being Manchester United manager. He would definitely inspire the players to be more confident at the highest level and everybody admires him for what he’s done as a player and as a manager, so that’s certainly an advantage he’s got. It would be a massive achievement for Manchester United to have Zinedine Zidane as their manager."
Interestingly, Zinedine Zidane was earlier linked with a move to Manchester United after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking. However, Zidane chose to turn down the opportunity to move to the Premier League.
Current Bayern Munch gaffer Thomas Tuchel, who has previously worked with Chelsea in England, is also reportedly interested in returning to the Premier League.
Manchester United eke out an FA Cup final spot following a narrow win against Coventry
The Red Devils were at their absolute best against the Championship side till the first 60 minutes of the semi-final clash, having scored three goals. However, Coventry flipped a switch and scored three goals in 20 minutes to send the match into extra time.
United were close to a heartbreak as Victor Torp slotted one home for The Sky Blues in the dying embers of the second half of extra time. However, it was ruled offside by the narrowest of margins.
Erik ten Hag's men found themselves on the ropes yet again after Casemiro missed the first shot of the penalty shootout. However, the Red Devils crawled over the line as Coventry's Callum O'Hare and Ben Sheaf missed their spot-kicks, allowing Manchester United to register a 4-2 victory.
United currently occupy the seventh spot on the Premier League table after 32 games and have managed just one win in their last five games. They will take on Sheffield United on April 24 and will be hoping to return to winning ways.