Zidane or Tuchel? Ally McCoist names which coach should succeed Erik ten Hag at Manchester United
Ally McCoist thinks Manchester United should swoop for Zinedine Zidane instead of Thomas Tuchel if Erik ten Hag is dismissed this summer.
Ten Hag has come under increasing pressure following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team. The Red Devils' new co-owner is set to overhaul the club from top to bottom which could lead to the Dutch coach's departure.
Several high-profile names linked with the job and Tuchel has emerged as the new frontrunner. The German tactician will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season after failing to deliver the Bundesliga title.
Reports claim that Ratcliffe admires Tuchel and it's suggested the British billionaire has even held discussions with the former Chelsea boss. He's struggled to impress at the Allianz Arena but was a massive hit at Stamford Bridge, winning the Champions League in 2021.
However, McCoist talked up Zidane as Ten Hag's replacement at Manchester United. He gave a glowing verdict of the three-time Champions League-winning coach while speaking on talkSPORT:
"I’d love to see Zinedine Zidane take over at Manchester United. I think that he would be brilliant for the club and if I had to pick one then he would be the one for me.”
Zidane has been out of management since June 2021 when he ended a second spell at Real Madrid. The French coach oversaw 174 wins in 263 games over two reigns with the La Liga giants.
The Madrid icon has yet to step foot into Premier League management. Tuchel has experience from his time at Chelsea where he oversaw 63 wins in 100 games before he was sacked in September 2022.
McCoist noted that Tuchel would likely be eager to take over at Manchester United but sided with Zidane as the top candidate:
"Thomas Tuchel would probably jump at the opportunity to be the next United boss, but Zidane would be my pick."
Ten Hag has a year left on his contract and arrived at Old Trafford in May 2022. His future may rest on the outcome of an FA Cup final encounter with Manchester City on May 25.
Zinedine Zidane reportedly prefers Manchester United over Bayern Munich
Zidane has interestingly been linked with replacing Tuchel at Bayern this summer. The Bundesliga giants are believed to be courting the Frenchman who is yet to coach a club outside of La Liga.
However, L'Equipe (via The Sun) reports that Zidane would prefer to take over at Manchester United. There is a stumbling block though as the French icon can't speak English while this isn't thought to be much of an issue in Germany.
Zidane may be enticed to take the United job and rival City's treble-winning boss Pep Guardiola in the English top-flight. The Red Devils have nosedived since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 and repairing the European sleeping giants is one of football's biggest jobs.