Ten Hag sends Man Utd timely message as he's linked with manager's job

Manchester United are on the lookout for a new manager, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer relieved of his duties after a 4-1 loss at Watford.

Michael Carrick has been installed as caretaker, with the club expected to name an interim manager in due course, but some are thinking about longer-term options to carry the team forward.

One of the names mentioned is Erik ten Hag, the Ajax manager who got the best out of United midfielder Donny van de Beek during their time together in Amsterdam, with former Old Trafford favourite Rio Ferdinand among those to sing the Dutchman's praises.

Hours after Solskjaer's dismissal was confirmed, Ten Hag provided the Premier League side with a timely reminder that he might be the man capable of turning their fortunes around.

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Ferdinand described Ten Hag as an ideal candidate for the United job due to the "fantastic job" he is doing at Ajax.

"It's... a huge club that he's got to work with and the expectation levels there every day are to win.

"That's something that will be there and very similar at Man Utd if he was to come to Man Utd."

Ten Hag is said to be firmly in the sights of United after impressing over a number of years at Ajax, having led the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019.

The Dutch side have been in frightening form in the Eredivisie and in Europe this term, and - on the day Solskjaer lost his job - delivered another reminder of the kind of performances which have ensured their own manager remains in high demand.

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Former West Ham United striker Sebastien Haller set Ajax on their way against RKC Waalwijk, ending the day with two goals to bring his tally for the season up to 16 in all competitions.

Steven Berghuis also netted twice, with Jurrien Timber netting in the second half to ensure Ajax returned home having picked up a 5-0 victory on the road.

Ajax have now scored 42 goals in 13 league outings - an average of more than three per game - while conceding just twice.

Carrick will be the man in the Manchester United dugout for their next match, away to Villarreal on Tuesday.

Supporters will be waiting eagerly for news on an interim appointment, with the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Zinedine Zidane also mentioned in conversations about the job in recent weeks.

Ten Hag is not expected to leave Ajax in the middle of a season where they top the Eredivisie and boast a perfect record in the Champions League.

However, if results continue along this vein, his name is likely to be linked with jobs like United's throughout the rest of the season.