According to reports, Manchester United are keeping tabs on Eddie Howe’s situation at Newcastle United with Erik ten Hag’s long-term future uncertain.
Ten Hag’s men are unbeaten in their last three matches across all competitions, conceding zero goals in the process.
They suffered a demoralising defeat at home to Liverpool in the last match before the September international break but bounced back well away to Southampton and then against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, winning 7-0 at Old Trafford.
Man Utd should have won against Crystal Palace on Saturday evening but were very wasteful in front of goal and would have paid for that but for an equally wasteful Eberechi Eze.
Ten Hag was on the brink of being sacked at the end of last season but saved his job by winning the FA Cup, which also earned the club Europa League qualification.
A difficult start to the season saw all of that pressure on the Dutch manager come back.
Several managers are being linked with the Old Trafford job, with some reports claiming it is a matter of time until Ruud van Nistelrooy is placed in interim charge .
Thomas Tuchel, Gareth Southgate and Graham Potter are other managers being linked with the Red Devils.
Newcastle ‘boardroom bust-up’ sees Howe linked with Man Utd
Surprisingly, Newcastle manager Howe is the latest to be linked.
According to Football Insider, a ‘boardroom bust-up’ at St James’ Park could see Howe leave the club and Man Utd are ‘closely monitoring his ongoing situation’.
Magpies sporting director Paul Mitchell has only been at the club since July but there are growing tensions with the former Bournemouth boss.
Howe’s transfer input has been ‘significantly’ reduced following Mitchell’s arrival, creating ‘concerns’ over his long-term future, just as there are with Ten Hag at Man Utd.
New Red Devils owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe views Howe as a manager who ‘ticks a lot of boxes’, with ‘admiration’ of his work at Newcastle, as well as his ‘media profile’.
Ratcliffe is not expected to make a decision soon but ‘will continue assessing Howe throughout this season as the tension behind the scenes at Newcastle continues to bubble over’.
Man Utd are currently 11th in the Premier League with two wins from their opening five fixtures, while Newcastle are sixth after losing for the first time this season at Fulham on Saturday.
The Geordies won three and drew one of their first four but were playing nowhere near their best,
with the Fulham loss definitely deserved.
They host champions Manchester City on Saturday, while Man Utd are against FC Twente in the Europa League before hosting Tottenham in the Premier League.