Joe Cole claims Man United will be ‘kicking themselves’ that Thomas Tuchel wasn’t sacked by Chelsea before they appointed Erik ten Hag because the German is ‘exactly what they need’
- Joe Cole says Thomas Tuchel’s exit will leave Man United ‘kicking themselves’
- He believes the German manager is the perfect man for Erik ten Hag’s position
- Tuchel was sacked after 100 games in charge and a 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb
- He was quickly replaced at Chelsea by ex-Brighton manager Graham Potter
- United had been keen on poaching Tuchel from Chelsea before hiring Ten Hag
Joe Cole claims Manchester United will be kicking themselves at the timing of Thomas Tuchel’s sacking as Chelsea boss earlier in September.
The former England and Chelsea star believes United will be ‘kicking themselves’ that the German was fired just months after their appointment of Erik ten Hag, insisting that Tuchel is the right man for the job at Old Trafford.
Tuchel was ousted as Blues boss after a shock 1-0 away defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the club’s opening Champions League game, taking their run to three consecutive away defeats, and he was quickly replaced by Graham Potter.
Joe Cole believes Manchester United will be annoyed at the timing of Thomas Tuchel’s sacking
Cole told the FIVE channel on YouTube: ‘I’m happy to say I think it was the wrong decision to get rid of Thomas Tuchel. He connected to the Chelsea fans and he won trophies.
United were interested in Tuchel before hiring Erik ten Hag instead
‘He was in a difficult period, that’s for sure, but getting rid of him was harsh. How was it handled? There’s no good way to get rid of a manger but I think the decision was wrong and they could have stuck with him.
‘I feel for Thomas Tuchel, it’s harsh because he’s a top manager. I tell you who will be kicking themselves a little bit: Man United.
‘I bet they wish this happened three or four months ago.
‘I don’t know how the Ten Hag era will go – it’s looking promising at the moment – but Thomas Tuchel is exactly what Man United need. He’s the type of character who can galvanize a group. I think he’s different gear, Thomas Tuchel’
Tuchel was replaced by ex-Brighton boss Potter, who is yet to take charge in his first game in the dugout, but Cole admitted he was excited by the club’s change of direction from their previous hires.
The German had been on United’s radar before the eventual appointment of Erik ten Hag, and had been keen on poaching him from the Blues, but were stymied in their attempts very early on, instead moving for the Dutchman.
The German boss lost his job at Chelsea after his 100th match in charge earlier in September
In recent years, Chelsea have signed serial winners like Tuchel, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourniho, but Potter arrives with no silverware outside of Swedish football to his name, despite being one of the most highly-regarded coaches in the game.
Cole was quick to highlight his excitement ahead of the Potter-era at Stamford Bridge, adding: ‘Chelsea fans are used to getting [Antonio] Conte, [Jose] Mourinho… top manager. But to go with Graham Potter, I’m actually quite excited about that because that suggests to me that we’re going in a different direction and looking for stability.
‘For all of the success Chelsea have had, if we had stability like Man City have had with Pep [Guardiola], we could have had more.
The Blues lost a third away game in a row against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League
‘I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes. It’s okay saying he’s our manager for the next few years but what if we don’t get into the Champions League? That’s when the test is going to come.
‘But I’m excited because I love his brand of football. Only time will tell but maybe we can get more stability under the new owners.’
In Tuchel’s 100 games in charge at Chelsea, he won a Champions League, UEFA Supercup and a FIFA Club World Cup, as well as being awarded World’s Best Club Coach for the 2021/21 season.
Tuchel was quickly replaced by former Brighton and Swansea manager Graham Potter
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