Man Utd urged to replace Ten Hag with ‘brilliant’ left-field manager option amid historic season
Erik ten Hag and Mark Robins, Man Utd
Manchester United should swerve big-name coaches such as Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi by landing Coventry City boss Mark Robins this summer, according to a former Premier League manager.
Erik ten Hag is under huge pressure at Man Utd, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team looking into whether the Dutchman should stay on as manager. While Ratcliffe does not want Man Utd’s new era to be turbulent by hiring and firing managers, he is aware that there are other coaches out there who would do a better job at competing with Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.
After being knocked out of the League Cup and Champions League and seeing their top-four hopes ruined, Ten Hag’s last hope at Man Utd is winning the FA Cup final on May 25.
But that will be very tough as Guardiola’s Manchester City will be strong favourites, having beaten Man Utd in the final last year.
The Red Devils have been linked with a host of managers in recent months. The top candidates are thought to be Tuchel, De Zerbi, Gareth Southgate and Graham Potter.
Alternatively, Man Utd could look to the Championship, having been impressed by the work their former coach Kieran McKenna has done at Ipswich Town, while their former striker Robins is excelling at Coventry.
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Ex-West Ham and Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has urged Ratcliffe to consider Robins after Coventry came extremely close to dumping Man Utd out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals.
“I’ve got a gaffer for you. He’s not international, he’s not won the Dutch league or the French league but he’s an old player of yours [Man Utd’s],” Pardew said on talkSPORT.
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“He’s done brilliantly for four seasons, he almost beat you in the semi-final – Mark Robins, there you go.
“Get him in. He’ll do a job for you, I tell you.
“An ex-player who knows the club and knew the club before he went there. He did his apprenticeship before he went there – he’s done his duty, he’s done his homework and knows the levels.
“I’m not his agent, by the way, I’m just saying!”
Robins famously saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s job as Man Utd manager in 1990 by scoring the winner in an FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest, a trophy which the Red Devils went on to win later that season.
Incredibly, Robins almost cost Ten Hag his job earlier this month when Coventry came back from three goals down against Man Utd to take their FA Cup semi-final clash to extra time.
Coventry midfielder Victor Torp thought he’d won the game in the latter stages of extra time, only for the goal to be cruelly ruled out by VAR for a narrow offside. Man Utd went on to win the resultant penalty shoot-out, but it was Robins’ Coventry side who won all the plaudits for their stunning comeback.