If Manchester United do sack Erik ten Hag, they'll be making history when it comes to the Premier League era.
The Red Devils have never fired a manager so soon into the season. With the fallen giants going from bad to worse, however, it's certainly something that can't be ruled out.
United chiefs are meeting in London on Tuesday to discuss the situation. It is D-day for Ten Hag, whose side have picked up just eight points from their first seven matches.
The 54-year-old, for his part, believes he has the backing of the club's hierarchy. They opted to stick, rather than twist, back in the summer after the Red Devils upset the odds to beat Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup.
Manchester United could make Erik ten Hag their earliest sacking in the Premier League era
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Ten Hag was also backed with big signings. Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte and Noussair Mazraoui were all snapped up with the United boss adamant they'd trigger an improvement.
After just seven league games, however, the writing seems to be on the wall.
Thomas Tuchel is waiting in the wings to take over, with the 51-year-old still a free agent following his departure from Bayern Munich earlier in the year.
Tuchel rejected United's advances in the summer after they failed to agree on terms.
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He is open to taking over, however, and is the clear frontrunner for the position - though Ruud van Nistelrooy could take charge on an interim basis.
United used to be a stable club. When Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013, he implored everybody associated with the Red Devils to be patient.
Yet Ten Hag, it seems, is destined for the axe.
If United do end up pulling the trigger, he'll be their earliest sacking in a season to date.
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David Moyes, the first manager of the post-Ferguson era, lasted just seven months before being relieved of his duties in 2014.
Louis van Gaal was given two full years in charge before he was sacked, with Jose Mourinho brought in.
Mourinho did well enough during his first two years at United, with the club winning two trophies and finishing second in the Premier League season.
The axe fell in December 2018, however, with a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool ultimately the final nail in his coffin.
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Manchester United could appoint Thomas Tuchel as their replacement for Erik ten Hag
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After Mourinho came Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Like his predecessor, progress seemed to being made - with United finishing third and second on his watch.
But United axed the Norweigan in November 2021 after he'd overseen a chastening 4-1 defeat to Watford.
Moyes lasted until April, Mourinho until December and Solskjaer until November.
Manchester United could be about to sack Erik ten Hag earlier in a season than when they axed the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho
PA
Yet with Ten Hag, he could be out of a job by October.
United don't really want to sack him. They kept him in the summer because they believed things would be better this season, especially given the amount of changes behind the scenes.
But history, it seems, could be about to be made by pulling the plug after just seven league games.