Man Utd player's warning that dressing room would ‘eat manager target alive’ says it all

A Manchester United player reportedly believes that Thomas Frank would be "eaten alive" by the team if he took over from Erik ten Hag as manager. The Brentford boss is among several candidates linked with the Old Trafford job, as Ten Hag's future hangs in the balance after a lacklustre start to the season.

Initially, Thomas Tuchel seemed to be a real top contender in the race, especially after discussions with United's part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe during the summer, but his recent appointment as England manager has removed him from contention. Now, it's understood that Frank is one of the top contenders for the role, alongside the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gareth Southgate, and Graham Potter.

However, ex-Premier League footballer Don Hutchison has suggested that Frank might not be welcomed by the squad. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Hutchison, 53, said an unnamed United player thought the Dane wouldn't be able to handle the dressing room.

"I won't name names, but I spoke to a Man United player about two weeks ago and we were chatting [about who could replace Ten Hag]," he said. "I said Thomas Frank, and he said to me, 'that dressing room would eat him alive'."

Brentford face United at Old Trafford on Saturday, with both sides languishing in the bottom half. The Red Devils began the weekend in 14th place, having secured only two victories from their first seven Premier League games, while Brentford sit two points ahead in 12th.

Frank, who was considered by Chelsea as a possible Mauricio Pochettino successor during the summer, has been at the helm at Brentford since 2018. He led the Bees to the Premier League in his second full season and secured a commendable top-half finish in the 2022/23 season.

Hutchison voiced his concerns about the attitude within United towards Frank, suggesting that dismissing his qualities is indicative of deeper issues at Old Trafford. "If you're not accepting a manager and a coach like Thomas Frank who would get you organised [then you've got problems]," he said.

"Because that's what you see as a fan. It doesn't matter if your team is losing every single week, what you want to see as a fan is your team organised, which United aren't, and those players running for the badge, which they're not."

Adding to the grim outlook, Hutchison cast doubts on Ten Hag being fit for the United role while debunking the Dutchman's belief that United are "going in the right direction". He asked: "How is he motivating these players to run hard and be organised?

"[Ten Hag] came out today quite defiant, saying, and I quote, 'we are still going in the right direction'. So you're 14th in the league. You've got no wins in Europe. You've got a minus three goal difference and only one win in the last six in the Premier League. How is that going in the right direction?"

Hutchison enjoyed a career spanning nearly 20 years in English football. The ex-midfielder, who represented Scotland on 26 occasions, had significant spells with Liverpool, West Ham, Everton and Sheffield United. He hung up his boots in 2009.