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Man United hold talks with manager who plays ‘tiki-taka’ football to replace Erik ten Hag

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Manchester United have endured a torrid start to the new Premier League season.

Man United returned to winning ways against Brentford on the weekend but they still reside in the bottom half of the table.

Position Team Played MP Won W Drawn D Lost L For GF Against GA Diff GD Points Pts
10 FulhamFulham8 3 2 3 11 11 0 11
11 B’mouthBournemouth8 3 2 3 10 10 0 11
12 Man UtdManchester United8 3 2 3 7 9 -2 11
13 BrentfordBrentford8 3 1 4 14 15 -1 10
14 LeicesterLeicester8 2 3 3 12 14 -2 9

As such, Erik ten Hag’s future is far from secure and it’s understood INEOS contacted Thomas Tuchel before he accepted the England job.

Now, it’s just come to light, that United have held talks with a manager on the continent.

Sevilla FC v FC Barcelona - LaLiga EA Sports
Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images

Man United hold talks with Xavi

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United have held talks with former Barcelona manager Xavi to potentially replace Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

Xavi has been out of work since leaving the Catalan giants in June following a runners-up finish to Real Madrid in La Liga.

The 44-year-old has already made it clear that he doesn’t want to manage in Spain again, so the United job could tempt him.

United could also turn to Ruud van Nistelrooy as a short-term solution, however, club chiefs are sticking by ten Hag for now.

Xavi record vs Erik ten Hag

Xavi, who plays a ‘tiki-taka’ style of play per All Football, has built up a pretty impressive CV in his short managerial career.

Here is how his record compares to ten Hag.

ManagerXaviErik ten Hag
Preferred formation4-3-34-2-3-1
Total games239563
Wins157354
Draws3691
Losses46118
Trophies88
Transfermarkt – correct as of 23/10/24

Evidently, ten Hag is the far more experienced manager, though, Xavi’s possession-based approach appears to be the way forward in the modern game.