Thomas Frank has emerged as an early favourite to succeed Erik ten Hag as the Manchester United manager after the Dutchman was sacked on Monday.
Brentford’s No 1 was previously considered as a potential replacement for Ten Hag towards the end of last season when he was under threat then, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos-led football department having interviewed several candidates.
Frank, 51, is in a fourth season of Premier League management, guiding the Bees to 13th, 9th, and 16th in his three full campaigns – the last achieved without Ivan Toney until the last four months of the campaign due the striker’s ban for breaking gambling rules.
While Frank’s side currently stand ninth on 13th points, the Dane has proven himself tactically flexible, switching between a three-man and regular backline.
Brentford are the last side to defeat Manchester City at home in regular play, Frank leading them to a 2-1 win over at the Etihad Stadium in November 2022.
After City beat Brentford 2-1 in September, Guardiola said: “Thomas is one of the best. It’s a question of time for him, he will get it [a move to a bigger club]. I’m good in a few things but reading when the manager is good I’m good.”
Before Brentford’s Carabao Cup meeting with Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night, Frank was asked about the current vacancy at Old Trafford.
“I’ve said many, many times, I’m very happy here. I think it’s one of the best clubs in the world. What happens in the future, who knows? But I’m very, very happy here,” he said. “I always try to be as transparent as possible. I would repeat myself. I’m very happy here and I can see myself here for a long, long time.
“I’ve also said that maybe if something comes up, an opportunity I’d like to try, OK let’s see. But now? No. I’m very, very happy here.”
Other potential candidates to replace Ten Hag are Sporting’s Rúben Amorim and Xavi, the former Barcelona head coach who is currently unemployed.
However it is understood Amorin may be minded to stay at the Portuguese champions as he has a desire to claim Sporting’s second title in succession, the club having last achieved this 70 years ago.
Regarding Xavi, it is thought United are yet to make any formal contact with the 44-year-old, and is considered an outside prospect at best.
United sacked Ten Hag after the 2-1 defeat at West Ham on Sunday meant the club registered one of their worst starts to a Premier League season.
United have one victory from their past five top-flight matches and sit 14th in the division, seven points above the relegation zone after scoring only eight goals in nine league games. The club’s hierarchy felt there were no excuses for the performances on the pitch and made the decision to part ways with Ten Hag, informing him on Monday morning.
The former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined the club’s coaching staff in the summer, will take charge of the first team in the short term, alongside other incumbent members of the club’s backroom. United’s next match is on Wednesday at home against Leicester in the Carabao Cup.
“Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager,” the club said in a statement. “Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future. Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”
It was thought Ten Hag needed to win at least one of the club’s fixtures in the past week against Fenerbahce in the Europa League and at West Ham. United scraped a 1-1 draw against José Mourinho’s side in Turkey and the result on Sunday sealed his fate.
United were eager to give Ten Hag time as they wanted as much continuity amid period of change at the club. It was hoped he would work closely with the new sporting director, Dan Ashworth, and technical director, Jason Wilcox, to help turn the club around after finishing eighth last season but there has been no obvious improvement.
The decision is the most significant made by Ratcliffe and his allies since his company Ineos took a minority stake. United finished last season eighth in the Premier League, their lowest league finish since 1990, and have started this campaign with four wins from 13 matches in all competitions.
At the start of September the United chief executive, Omar Berrada, and Ashworth publicly threw support behind Ten Hag. Berrada said: “Do we still believe in Erik? Absolutely. We think Erik is the right coach for us and we’re fully backing him.” Three days later, however, the Guardian reported that his “game model” was being scrutinised.
Ten Hag was under intense pressure at the end of last season but oversaw victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup final and kept his job after United held talks with a number of candidates.
They included Thomas Tuchel, who ruled himself out of the job and subsequently was appointed as head coach of the England national team. Other potential successors include Frank and the former England manager Gareth Southgate.
Ten Hag left Ajax to succeed the interim manager Ralf Rangnick at United for the 2022-23 season. The Dutchman was given a contract to June 2025, with the option to extend for a further year which was taken up this summer in a short-lived show of support from Ratcliffe.
After extending his contract, Ten Hag was backed in the transfer market. Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte all joined the club for large fees but none have looked settled since arriving. Questions were raised of Ten Hag’s signings, with the £85.6m spent on bringing Antony with him from Ajax, seen as a disaster move.
United finished third, 14 points off the top, in Ten Hag’s first campaign and won the Carabao Cup, beating Newcastle in the final.
