Julen Lopetegui 'well positioned' to become next Manchester United manager with Erik ten Hag in trouble
Julen Lopetegui is reportedly in pole position to become the next manager of Man Utd
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Julen Lopetegui is 'very well positioned' to be the next manager of Manchester United, according to reports in Spain.
The Red Devils only hired Erik ten Hag 18 months ago, with the Dutchman winning the Carabao Cup in his first season in the dugout.
Results and performances this term have been poor, however, with Ten Hag now under pressure as a result.
United were sent crashing out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, with Kingsley Coman netting the only goal of the game.
Julen Lopetegui could be set to replace Erik ten Hag at Man Utd
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They've struggled in the Premier League, too, while Newcastle dumped them out of the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.
Ten Hag was backed lavishly back in the summer transfer window, with deals for the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund all sanctioned.
But United look as far away from the country's best sides as ever after a decade of drift since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.
Now, according to Revelo, Lopetegui is in the frame to become the next manager of the club.
It's claimed Ten Hag's situation is 'extreme' and pressure is mounting ahead of Sunday's showdown with fierce rivals Liverpool at Anfield.
The report says Lopetegui, since leaving Wolves earlier in the year, has rejected several big offers.
He was linked with Napoli, while the Spaniard also reportedly rebuffed a huge offer to manage in Saudi Arabia.
Lopetegui feels he has unfinished business in England after his bitter departure from Wolves and 'is in love' with the country.
He is reportedly interested in the possibility of becoming the next manager of United.
And he's also confident he can turn the club around amid their turbulence so far this term.
The United hierarchy are said to admire Lopetegui for the work he's done during the course of his career.
As well as Wolves, he's also worked at Porto, Real Madrid and Sevilla - as well as the Spain national team.
Lopetegui isn't the only name United are considering, however.
Zinedine Zidane, Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi are also on their shortlist.
But Lopetegui's track record makes him the favourite to replace Ten Hag should United consider maing a managerial change.
For now, that doesn't seem like it will happen.
United 'want to be patient' with Ten Hag. However, their patience has 'ran out' with results going from bad to worse.
The Red Devils want to make a firm decision on Ten Hag's future before the January transfer window.
With each defeat, however, his position looks increasingly vulnerable.
Speaking after United lost to Bayern, meanwhile, Ten Hag challenged his players to learn from the result.
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Julen Lopetegui is admired by the Man Utd board for the work he's done during his career
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“Football is always when you don't get the points, it's that you are not qualifying," he said.
"You have to take that, as a coach and a manager, and you have to look at the performances.
"We had some good performances in the Champions League, with attacking football, but, at the end of the day, we don't have the points to qualify.
“We have to accept it and learn from it. We’ve played some good football in the Champions League; for example Rasmus Hojlund scored five times and that’s a very good performance, and he has to take that belief into the Premier League. I think that counts for the whole team.
“We know we want to be more consistent and me as a manager, I have to improve the team, the team’s progress, and I have to guide them, and the players have to take responsibilities, so we have to do that together.
"We want to be back again in the Champions League.”