Thomas Tuchel could be perfect for Manchester United

Thomas Tuchel, who has been set to part ways with Bayern at the end of the season, could be the manager Manchester United needs.

Manchester United are on the verge of their worst campaign since the Premier League era. They are currently sitting eighth in the standings with 54 points in hand and could miss out on the continental campaign next season. Their heavy loss in Selhurst Park recently has only made their domestic campaign worse. The 4-0 defeat against Crystal Palace yesterday has been considered one of their worst in the Premier League. Consequently, Erik Ten Hag’s future could be determined soon. The Dutch boss could be shown the door immediately, despite his commitment and preference to stay at Old Trafford.

His replacement has been on their radar. Bayern’s current boss, Thomas Tuchel, has been seen as a fit figure to take charge of the Red Devils. The talk has been reportedly initiated. The former Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea manager is likely to make a switch to Manchester immediately after the season ends. He appears to be more in favour of a Premier League return than making a move to La Liga. Tuchel was one of Barcelona’s targets a few weeks ago before they opted to stick with Xavi until his contract ends in the summer of 2025.

Tuchel is undoubtedly one of the high-profile managers available next month. It is no surprise that he is not short of interest despite his woeful second season in Bavaria. There have been several reasons why he might be perfect for Manchester United.

A Big Team Specialist

The German manager is probably one of the few big team specialists today, alongside Carlo Ancelotti and Luis Enrique. He had different spells in his managerial career at Augsburg II, Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, PSG, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich, but the only time he went trophyless was at his early club, Mainz. He has always won silverware since his days in Dortmund.

His most memorable stints so far are probably when he was at the helm of PSG and Chelsea. Tuchel won six titles in total, including two league titles in 2019 and 2020, and led Le Parisien to reach their first-ever Champions League final in 2020. Sadly, they were thumped 1-0 by Bayern in the summit. In Stamford Bridge, the Krumbach-born gaffer even clinched a higher level of silverware, the Champions League, in his first season, 2020/21, after beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 1-0 in the final. He also brought The Blues to snatch the UEFA Super Cup title and their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup in the same year.

His man management is tipped by many as one of his key successes. Such is essential in the big sides, where he has to deal with big egos in the squad, on and off the pitch. He had Pierre Aubameyang in Dortmund, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Edison Cavani in PSG, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, and Romelu Lukaku in Chelsea, and last but not least, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller in Bayern.

Unfortunately, his tenure in Bavaria has not been appreciated, mainly because the club’s management is too political, which slightly prevented him from gaining total control of the team. Manchester United, on the other hand, prefers a manager with such authority. Tuchel’s strong personality could be beneficial for the team too.

Experience working with Mason Mount

Mason Mount was one of United’s big signings this season, he has flopped. They are certainly not happy after spending €69 million on the versatile midfielder, who is dubbed to be the next English captain but has been mainly sidelined due to injuries and physical fitness. Thomas Tuchel would be the perfect one to fix this issue.

Tuchel once worked with Mount during his Chelsea days, when he enjoyed his peak performance. Under Tuchel, the 25-year-old England international featured in 54 matches in the 2020–21 campaign with nine goals and nine assists in his contribution, including one fine pass for Kai Havertz’s winning goal in the UCL final. In the 2021/22 season, Mount even registered 13 goals and 15 assists in only 53 games.

Should he arrive at Old Trafford, Tuchel would be able to optimise his role again in the team as well as improve Harry Maguire and Co’s form. He knows Mount’s true potential and has complemented his positive personality for the team.

Ability to Level Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City

If the Red Devils would like to see their dark days end, then appointing Tuchel would be the first right step to do so. He is the right man to disrupt Manchester City’s dominance. He already proved himself while he was at Stamford Bridge. In his first season, the Blues managed to crush Guardiola’s men twice in crucial games: the FA Cup semifinal and the Champions League final. Chelsea was able to secure a narrow 1-0 victory in both matches. They might not have won the Premier League yet while Tuchel was in charge, but they became a constant contender to meddle in Manchester City and Liverpool rivalries.

Tuchel is also known for his tactical prowess. He could deploy various formations depending on the available men in the squad or the opposition. In Dortmund, he often used 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1, but in PSG, the formation varied from 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-2-2-2, and even 5-3-2 when necessary. During his spells in West London, the German boss opted to deploy 3-4-2-1.

Unfortunately, he has not succeeded in doing the same in Bayern due to various reasons, including his inability to make a fine bond with the players in the squad, a lack of versatile figures, and his players’ lack of motivation and energy to win trophies again. They have enjoyed their dominance for far too long and won all the trophies. Perhaps Tuchel came to Bavaria at the wrong time.

Such is different in Old Trafford. United has been in a major title drought. They have not clinched the FA Cup since Louis Van Gaal’s tenure in 2016 and the Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season in 2013. Their last major silverware was the Europa League 2017 under Jose Mourinho. Tuchel could potentially inspire their return to the top and deliver the trophies they need. Should that come to fruition, then Manchester United tickets will be in huge demand again next season.