Former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has been unexpectedly “tipped” as a potential successor to Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

United’s season has been turbulent, with the team currently sitting 12th in the Premier League and 21st in the UEFA Europa League rankings. Recent months have seen United suffer significant losses to Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, along with struggles against teams like FC Twente and FC Porto.

On talkSPORT, former Chelsea and Aston Villa player Andy Townsend voiced his preference for Mourinho over Ten Hag, saying, “If I were a United fan, I’d rather see Mourinho in charge than Erik ten Hag right now.”

However, co-host and United supporter Andy Goldstein disagreed, saying, “He brings a massive cloud with him wherever he goes. It’s great as long as it’s not your club.”

Townsend continued, “Manchester United is such a huge club, and I just don’t understand it. I thought Ten Hag would have been out by now. I respect his persistence, but I don’t see him as the one to bring United back to competing with Pep Guardiola and others at the top.”

The ex-Ireland international added, “I read today that Mourinho might have been the right choice to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson, given his profile and history of winning titles. I wouldn’t be shocked if he came back to shake things up.”

As United prepared for their Premier League clash against West Ham, Ten Hag responded, “We all need to work together—the players, the coaching staff, everyone. When we’re united, we’re a tough team, and we can achieve a lot.”