It is fair to say that Manchester United have been shambolic this season. Erik ten Hag’s side are struggling for any kind of good form this season, and are scratching around for points in the Premier League.
They currently sit 14th in the top flight with just eight points from seven games and only five goals in that time, the joint second-lowest in the league.
Unsurprisingly, this is their worst start to a season in the Premier League era. Ten Hag achieved the embarrassing feat for the second time in as many seasons, breaking his unwanted record of nine points from 2023/24.
It has been a disaster for the Dutchman so far, and the rumours of his potential sacking recently have begun to intensify. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is thought to be lining up a surprise replacement.
Man United’s shock manager target
With the speculation of a new boss at the helm at Old Trafford beginning to gain traction, they have been linked with a shock move for 32-year-old Elfsborg manager Oscar Hiljemark, who has impressed at the Swedish outfit.
This is according to reports in Sweden via Sports Witness, which suggest the Red Devils scouted an Elfsborg match recently, with both players and the head coach on the agenda for the trip.
The report states that Hiljemark is ‘likely to be on the radar of bigger sidesl across Europe, after success domestically and on the European stage. The 13-time Premier League champions were joined by scouts from fellow English top-flight sides Tottenham and Bournemouth.
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Who is Hiljemark
The 32-year-old former central midfielder is making waves across European football at the moment. His side, who are something of an unknown quantity, have proven to be extremely effective, and Hiljemark recently masterminded an impressive 1-0 Europa League victory over Italian giants AS Roma.
The Swede has an impressive record as a manager already. Despite the fact he has managed just 75 games so far, the former PSV Eindhoven and Palermo midfielder has already won 40 games, with a 53% win rate.
Games
75
Wins
40
Draws
19
Losses
16
Goals for
145
Goals against
89
Win percentage
53%
In recent times, he has favoured a back three formation, with a 3-4-3 system being his go-to system. However, the 32-year-old has shown plenty of tactical flexibility, deploying 4-3-3 systems in the early days of his managerial career.
This is similar to another supposed Red Devils managerial target, Thomas Tuchel. According to a recent report from Samuel Luckhurst of The Manchester Evening News, United bosses are ‘lining up’ a move for the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager.
Indeed, a back three is something the Red Devils’ faithful might need to become accustomed to. During his time at Chelsea, the German was notorious for playing a back three. He has also shown great tactical flexibility at other clubs, playing a 4-2-3-1 system at the Allianz Arena and a 4-3-3 during his time as Paris Saint-Germain boss.
There can also be a similarity drawn between Heljemark and esteemed Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard is now regarded as one of the best managers in the Premier League, but when he first moved to the Emirates Stadium, he was inexperienced and fairly young, just 37 years of age.
That is certainly similar to the Elfsborg boss. Although he has managed at the professional level, there is quite a difference in managing United, and he could certainly consider himself inexperienced in this sense, like Arteta, although for different reasons.
Arteta was a coach at an elite European club, and Heljemark is the manager of one of the best sides in Sweden, something quite incomparable to managing at Old Trafford. Similarities can also be drawn in their age, with the Gunners boss just five years older when he took the Arsenal job to the Swede now, aged 32.
With that being said, there is no reason to suggest that Heljemark does not have it in him to manage the Red Devils.
It has not exactly been a place where managers have succeeded since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013. Who knows, perhaps this inexperienced young manager from Sweden, with impressive tactical nous, could be the man to take United back to the top. It can’t go any worse than Ten Hag’s reign, can it?
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