Next Manchester United manager odds: Ten Hag and Pochettino head the betting

Manchester United beat Leeds 4-2 at Elland Road on Sunday but, as is often the case with United, they did not make things easy for themselves.

The Red Devils were trading at 1.07 on Betfair's Exchange at half-time after headed goals from Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes put them 2-0 up.

Leeds struck back with goals in the 53rd and 54th minutes and United hit 7-4 in-play before Fred restored their lead with 20 minutes remaining and substitute Anthony Elanga sealed the victory late on.

Bookmakers are betting on who will be Manchester United manager on the first day of the 2022-23 Premier League season and, despite the victory at Leeds, interim boss Ralf Rangnick is 8-1 to be in the Old Trafford hotseat next term.

Ajax's Erik ten Hag and PSG's Mauricio Pochettino head the betting and here is our guide to the market leaders:

Erik ten Hag 100-30

Ajax's exploits in the Champions League group stage – six wins out of six and a goal difference of +15 – have enhanced the credentials of Erik ten Hag, who took over at the Amsterdam giants in 2017 after previously coaching Utrecht and Bayern Munich II.

Ten Hag is on track for a third Eredivisie title in four years, with Ajax conceding just five goals in 23 league games, and, having been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham last year, he looks a serious contender for the United job.

Mauricio Pochettino 4-1

There is no secret about United's admiration for Paris St-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino, a proven Premier League performer after successful spells in charge of Southampton and Tottenham.

Pochettino has never seemed settled at PSG, although they are well clear in the Ligue 1 title race and major players in this season's Champions League betting, and as the market suggests he will surely be high up on United's wishlist for their next permanent manager.

Ralf Rangnick 8-1

The veteran German coach was working as sports and development manager for Lokomotiv Moscow when United swooped to appoint him as interim manager following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Like Solskjaer, Rangnick has struggled to get a consistent tune out of United, not helped by reports of an unsettled dressing room and a clear gulf between the coach's tactical ethos and the squad's capabilities.

A top-four finish and a good run in the Champions League could help the 63-year-old get the job on a permanent basis but it may suit both parties if he leaves at the end of the season, as originally agreed.

Brendan Rodgers 10-1

A Premier League runner-up (agonisingly) with Liverpool and winner of multiple trophies at Celtic, Rodgers has led Leicester to back-to-back fifth-placed finishes and lifted the FA Cup last season.

Having raised expectations – the Foxes looked on course for Champions League qualification in 2019-20 and 2020-21 – Rodgers may be a victim of his own success and he was backed into sack-race favouritism after a poor run of results for Leicester.

The Northern Irishman once suggested that his Liverpool links would rule him out of the United job and, while he may not win any popularity contests among Red Devils supporters, he is still a viable candidate.

Diego Simeone 12-1

Diego Simeone celebrated the tenth anniversary of his appointment as Atletico Madrid coach just before Christmas but Atleti's defence of their Spanish title never got going this season.

Last week's 1-0 home defeat to bottom club Levante was a low point and Simeone may feel it's the right moment to move on from Madrid. If the United job is on his radar then he has the perfect opportunity to prove his credentials when Atletico host the Red Devils in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg.

Antonio Conte 20-1

The former Juventus, Chelsea and Inter boss is only three months into his career at Tottenham so it would require some byzantine machinations for him to start next season at Old Trafford.

Conte will hope the dramatic 3-2 win at Manchester City on Saturday is a sign of things to come at Spurs but if he feels he is not sufficiently backed in the summer transfer window then he could be open to offers from elsewhere.

Zinedine Zidane 20-1

Undeniably one of the greatest players of his generation, Zinedine Zidane's managerial career is harder to quantify despite his haul of three Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles in two brief spells at Real Madrid.

Zidane's tempestuous relationships with the Real board and star players such as Gareth Bale suggest that wherever he ends up next it will be interesting but replacing Pochettino at Paris St-Germain looks a more realistic destination for Zizou.

Bruno Lage 20-1

Bruno Lage has made a positive impression in his first season in England, leading Wolves into the top eight of the Premier League and claiming a 1-0 league win at Old Trafford on January 3.

Wolves's defensive record under Lage has been outstanding but he lasted just one full season in his only previous managerial job at Benfica so would represent something of a gamble for United.

Ralph Hasenhuttl 33-1

Few punters would have had Ralph Hasenhuttl down as a potential United boss when his Southampton side were thumped 9-0 at Old Trafford in February 2021 but the Austrian has turned things around impressively at St Mary's.

Saints were good value for their 1-1 draw with United earlier this month and Hasenhuttl, who led newly-promoted RB Leipzig to a second-placed finish in the Bundesliga in 2016-17, has enough experience of the Premier League to merit a bigger job.

One concern might be that the Austrian's preferred playing style is influenced by Rangnick's pressing philosophy, which United's stars have struggled to adopt.

Wayne Rooney 33-1

Didier Deschamps is chalked up at 16-1 but it is hard to see him leaving the France job just months before Les Bleus defend the World Cup in Qatar and a more interesting candidate is United's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney.

Appointing a legendary ex-striker didn't work out in the case of Solskjaer but Rooney has done a fine job in very trying circumstances at Derby.

However, he claimed to have turned down an approach from former club Everton last month and the 36-year-old, just two years into his managerial career, may not feel the time is right to take on a huge job at Old Trafford.

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