Manchester United slumped to a new low during the 2023/24 campaign with their recent 3-0 loss to Manchester City.
It may not have been as traumatic as the 6-3 trouncing they received last season, yet it doesn’t matter as the Red Devils offered little to no attacking prolificacy against the current Premier League champions.
With just five league wins from ten games so far this season, United are currently 11 points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur and even the most passionate supporter will claim that a title challenge now looks beyond realistic.
Erik ten Hag enjoyed a productive start to life in Manchester last term, leading the Red Devils to their first major trophy in six years – winning the EFL Cup against Newcastle United – while qualification for the Champions League was secured by finishing third in the Premier League.
Things were looking positive again at Old Trafford, yet following a rather underwhelming transfer window, plus a team besieged by injuries, the Dutchman could soon be under real pressure unless results start to go his way.
Although the former Ajax boss will be looking to build a dynasty at United and establish a long-term project, if their form doesn’t improve prior to the festive season, he may soon find his position untenable – amid suggestions that Roberto De Zerbi could be a dream replacement.
Man Utd manager news – Roberto De Zerbi
The current Brighton and Hove Albion manager may not be a marquee name such as Zinedine Zidane for example, yet the work he is doing on the south coast is nothing short of exemplary.
The 44-year-old took the reins at Brighton last year after Graham Potter left for Chelsea and while many surely felt this was as far as the Seagulls would go, the Italian has continued to boost their profile by qualifying for Europe.
The club defeated Dutch heavyweights Ajax recently and there is no limit to what this team could achieve and a manager like that would be ideal at Old Trafford.
De Zerbi has even defeated Ten Hag twice in 2023, with the most recent victory arriving back in September and the performance clearly impressed pundit and former player Pat Nevin, who tipped the Red Devils to turn to the Italian tactician.
He said: "There is also the not inconsiderate matter that a crammed Old Trafford should have given United a huge advantage on top.
"Even so, everyone still fancied Brighton. Is this because Roberto de Zerbi’s men are that good or because United are in disarray?
"There were boos at the end and incredulous gasps when Ten Haag suggested that this negativity was a positive. I wonder how many Reds fans were looking at the technical areas and wondering what it would be like to have De Zerbi as their coach instead?"
It is certainly an interesting idea and one that may look unrealistic, especially given his likeness to City boss Pep Guardiola and the fact he still has a job to do on the south coast in the coming months.
Roberto De Zerbi’s style of play
Upon his arrival in the Premier League, Jurgen Klopp was a coach who praised his style, saying: "Pushing through your ideas by changing what probably everyone at Brighton thought had worked out pretty well and still putting on your stamp is a really good job he did. You see the difference. They played Potter-ball. Now they play De Zerbi-ball."
High praise indeed from one of the finest managers in the world, while one of his former players, Maxime Lopez, hailed De Zerbi as a “genius” after enjoying playing under him during his spell at Sassuolo.
The Italian loves his team to have a lot of possession during matches and also instructs them to press high on a regular basis, stifling the opposition into making mistakes and losing the ball.
He tends to utilise a 4-2-3-1 formation from which his team can control the ball and dominate possession, while also bursting forward whenever possible in order to score.
53
1.6
30
2.17
120
1.38
29
0.72
13
0.38
90
1.86
One drawback of this system is it allows opponents plenty of chances to score. During his spell in Serie A, Sassuolo finished the 2019/20 league season with the seventh worst defensive record in the top flight, yet they still secured eighth place. They finished 11th the season prior to that, but conceded the fifth most goals in the league, indicating that while De Zerbi likes his teams to dominate the midfield and create plenty of opportunities, they can be fragile defensively.
This season for example, Brighton have scored 23 league goals, with only two teams outscoring them in the whole league – Newcastle United and Aston Villa. In contrast, they have conceded 19 times in just ten matches, the fifth-worst record in the Premier League at this current moment in time.
How De Zerbi compares to Guardiola
Guardiola is a big admirer of the current Brighton boss and his style of play, plus comparisons to the former Barcelona icon have landed him in the conversation as one of the candidates to take over from the 52-year-old when he eventually does leave the Etihad.
As the City boss himself only recently said of his managerial counterpart: "Pay attention to what I'm going to say. I'm pretty convinced I'm right in what I'm saying, I think Roberto is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years.”
The comparison between the pair has also been noted by Hull City boss Liam Rosenior, who stated: "That says everything about the way De Zerbi is coaching this team. I think he's an absolute genius.
"I know Pep said it yesterday, and I'm going to say it now, there are certain coaches who come along – [Arrigo] Sacchi with Milan, Pep has come along and changed the game…
"What De Zerbi is doing with this Brighton team is something different, something new in provoking the press in the way they build…"
Ten Hag’s future might be secure at this present moment in time, yet football is a fickle business and his employment status could change if United continue their Jekyll and Hyde form in the coming weeks.
De Zerbi has demonstrated just how effective his philosophy can be in England, and he is now showcasing it on the continental stage, leading Brighton to a win over an Ajax side who are in an even worse position than the Red Devils just now.
This shouldn’t take away the achievement of beating the four-time winners of the European Cup and the Italian would be a perfect replacement for Ten Hag should he depart in the near future.
A lot of work would have to be done in Manchester, yet everyone has seen how far De Zerbi has taken Brighton. The key question now is, could he be ready for a step-up sooner than later?