With manager Erik ten Hag facing growing pressure to deliver at Manchester United, here's a look at five top coaches who have fallen short of expectations this season!
Just over two months remain before Europe's top five leagues draw to a close, with the race for top honours steadily intensifying. While coaches such as Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen have sensationally blossomed this term, the same cannot be said for a handful of managers who are considered to be elite tacticians, including Ten Hag.
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Erik ten Hag – Manchester United
The Dutchman saw his charges suffer yet another defeat this past weekend, when United succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in the derby. The result was Ten Hag's 16th loss in all competitions this season, which paints a concerning picture for his future as he has won only 19 games in 2023/24. Furthermore, a recent report by British outlet Metro claims that Red Devils players believe that the club's new co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will relieve Ten Hag of his duties at the end of the season, with United remaining a whopping 11 points off the UEFA Champions League qualification positions, at the time of writing.
Xavi Hernandez – FC Barcelona
In Spain, Xavi has already announced that he will step down as Blaugrana head coach in June amid a lacklustre campaign. Barca look unlikely to defend their LALIGA title, trailing leaders Real Madrid by eight points heading into the final stretch of the season. The 44-year-old has visibly become a frustrated figure at the Camp Nou, having not been afforded the signings he ideally wanted in the previous two transfer windows. The club's seemingly endless financial problems also saw them fail to sign a new midfielder in January, despite Xavi's insistence on finding a replacement for injured playmaker, Gavi. Ultimately, the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner with Spain has thrown in the towel, with his fairy-tale reunion set to end after two-and-a-half seasons in charge, with there even being rumours that it could end sooner if Barca fail to progress to the next round of the UCL this week.
Thomas Tuchel – Bayern Munich
Like Xavi, Tuchel's departure in June has also been confirmed. It has certainly been a campaign to forget for the German, who looks on course to be the first Bayern manager to fail to win the Bundesliga in 11 seasons. This past weekend, leaders Leverkusen stretched their lead at the top of the league table to 10 points, with 10 more games to go. Tuchel's spell in Munich has also been characterised by his penchant for speaking out against his players and the club in the press, something that has reportedly seen him lose the trust of Bayern executives. He has also reportedly fallen out with some senior players in the squad, including Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka.
Mauricio Pochettino – Chelsea
Chelsea's problems over the past two seasons have been widely publicised, with their unprecedented spending having not yielded any of the intended results to date. Pochettino was brought on board in July 2023 with the hope of stabilising the ship, but just eight months later, the Blues are 11th in the Premier League table with just 10 wins in 26 games. To make things more awkward, during their recent 2-2 EPL draw with Brentford, a section of Chelsea supporters were heard chanting former boss Jose Mourinho's name in what appeared to be a dig at the Argentine.
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Jose Mourinho – free agent after being sacked by AS Roma
The only coach to have been sacked on this list, Mourinho was given his marching orders by Roma in January after an underwhelming first half of the current campaign. The Giallorossi were knocked out of the Italian Cup at the second round, while Mourinho saw his charges manage just 29 points from their first 20 Serie A games this season. Recurring suspensions from the dugout were another feature of his reign in Rome, with his verbal attacks on match officials becoming all too common. Following his departure, he was swiftly replaced by club legend Daniele De Rossi.
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