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Thomas Frank emerges as strong contender for Man Utd job – but club don’t want a ‘manager’
The Dane would have to fulfil a different role at Old Trafford to the one he currently holds at Brentford
MANCHESTER UNITED are strongly considering Thomas Frank to be their next manager, according to shock reports.
The Brentford boss, 50, could land the Old Trafford gig should Ineos decide to axe Erik ten Hag at the end of the season.
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Ten Hag, 54, is under increasing pressure following a dismal season at United.
SunSport understands he'll be fired at the end of the season.
Should Ten Hag be sacked, the claim that Frank will be a "strong contender" to land the job.
The Brentford boss is understood to have a relationship with Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, dating back to before the company's Old Trafford arrival.
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Frank has been in charge of Brentford since 2018.
He holds the position of manager in West London, but would have to fulfil a head coach role should he land the Man Utd gig.
Ineos have been busy restructuring the Red Devils' football set up since buying a 25 per cent stake in the club.
Richard Arnold and John Murtough have left their roles as chief executive and football director respectively.
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United are determined to land Dan Ashworth from Newcastle as sporting director.
While Jason Wilcox has arrived from Southampton as technical director, with Omar Berrada moving from Manchester City to be CEO.
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United will next look to appoint a head coach in order to fit in their new structure.
Ten Hag was appointed as manager in April 2022 and has held that title since his arrival that summer.
Brentford sealed promotion to the Premier League under Frank's stewardship in 2021.
He has since comfortably kept them in the top flight, coming 13th in his first season and achieving a ninth-placed finish last season.
The Bees are currently 16th in the table, having had to cope without striker Ivan Toney until January.
Brentford have long since secured Prem survival for a third successive campaign, sitting on 39 points with two games to spare - 13 above the drop zone.
Pundits' verdict on Ten Hag's future
Where do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag's Manchester United future?
Michael Owen - He has to go
"He cannot, simply cannot, manage this team next season. He's not good enough."
Teddy Sheringham - Might stay if he wins Cup but should go
"If United win the FA Cup, he could stay. But, for me, changes are needed and United need to get it done sooner than later."
Jamie Carragher - Sacked
"I don't see how Erik ten Hag stays. It's just performance after performance."
Gary Neville - Stay if he wins the FA Cup
"To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme."
Louis Saha - On the fence
"I don't see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well."
Alan Shearer - Sacked
"I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he's gone."
Man Utd, meanwhile, have endured a dismal season.
Should they lose one of their remaining two Premier League matches, United will have amassed their worst ever points-tally in the competition.
Ten Hag and Co sit eighth in the table on just 54 points.
They host Newcastle on Wednesday night, before rounding off their campaign with a trip to Brighton on Sunday.
Man Utd will look to salvage their campaign by winning the FA Cup on May 25.
The Red Devils are set to face Manchester City at Wembley in a repeat of last year's final.
Ten Hag recently claimed that it would lack "common sense" for Ineos to sack him, following a testing campaign.
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Responding to the possibility of being sacked after winning the FA Cup, as Louis van Gaal was in 2016, Ten Hag said of Man Utd's owners: "I think they have common sense..
"They can see when you have 32 different backlines, when you lose eight centre-backs, when they see us use 13 different partnerships at centre-half, when we don't have a left-back, when we have so many injuries - that will have a negative impact on results."
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