Last season was unforgettable for most Manchester United fans as the club finished a disappointing sixth place and missed out on lucrative Champions League football.
The season was full of turmoil, with the club breaking quite a few unwanted records, including their worst point total, conceding the most goals and finishing with a goal difference of 0.
A total of three managers tried their luck with varying degrees of success. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tried to keep up the momentum of the previous season but was sacked after a disastrous run of results.
Manchester United were twice encouraged to consider Graham Potter, now Chelsea manager: once when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked and again when they were looking for a successor to Ralf Rangnick. #MUFC opted for the former #BHAFC coach due to his lack of experience in #UCL.
— The Athletic UK (@TheAthleticUK) September 9, 2022
Michael Carrick coached the team for a few games before Ralf Rangnick was appointed interim coach. His spell was similarly disastrous, with multiple reports of a fractured squad.
Erik ten Hag was appointed manager in the summer and has overseen a run of four consecutive league wins and it looks like the club is back on track with some exciting football.
Potter could have been Utd manager
But The Athletic have now reported that things could have turned out quite differently had the club gone ahead with their talks with current Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
The Red Devils had two chances to appoint the English manager but turned down both opportunities citing a lack of European pedigree.
“Manchester United have twice been encouraged to consider Potter: once when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked and again when they looked for a permanent successor last season after Ralf Rangnick left.
“However, United refused to hold meaningful talks because Potter had no Champions League experience,” the article continues.
Potter, who had impressed at Brighton and guided them to their best Premier League finish last season, has now earned his chance to manage Chelsea, where he hopes to further enhance his reputation.
The article even mentions that apart from United, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Everton were also interested in acquiring his services.
United fans are really excited about the Ten Hag era and the results have vindicated the board’s decision to go ahead and appoint the Dutch tactician.
Time will tell if Potter can guide Chelsea to a top-four finish or if Ten Hag achieves the same in his first season in English football.
