Mauricio Pochettino, Kieran McKenna or Thomas Tuchel? The top candidates to replace Erik ten Hag - ranked

There is still a tiny possibility that Ten Hag remains in charge, as United insist that no decision will be made before the final, stating that they will conduct a review of the season when it is over.

The coach has been burnt by a interminable run of injuries, depriving him of any consistent defensive line throughout the season. If he can convince INEOS that this season's injury problems are a one-off and point to the progress he has made with youngsters such as Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, he may be given one more chance.

There is also a financial motivation to keep the Dutchman around. Sacking him and his staff would cost an estimated £10m ($13m), while the club would need to hire a new manager and support staff, potentially paying more fees to free a coach from an existing contract.

The club are already sailing close to the sun with regards to the Premier League's profitability and sustainability regulations, while money will be further squeezed by failing to get into the Champions League and likely missing out on European football altogether.

However, keeping Ten Hag around just to save a bit of money is far from an ideal solution and there is a danger of players not giving their all as they would know he is on borrowed time.

The Italian is already on the market after cutting ties with Brighton and he is a fascinating option due to the thrilling football he got the Seagulls playing. Indeed, he exhibited his coaching ability to the Old Trafford faithful when Brighton dismantled United in September.

He took Brighton into Europe for the first time and they finished top of a group full of giants of continental football including Ajax and Marseille. It is tempting to wonder what he could achieve with world class players and a club of United's ambition.

But INEOS will be wary of De Zerbi's fiery temperament and his tendency to say and do what he wants. His desire for more signings saw him clash with Brighton chairman Tony Bloom and his touchline behaviour means he might not be the ambassador the club's hierarchy are looking for.

Frank has worked wonders with Brentford, taking them into the top flight for the first time ever in 2021. The Dane has gained more and more admirers for helping Brentford punch well above their weight, playing tactically shrewd football on a shoestring budget and making the most of data analysis.

Ratcliffe has made it clear that he does not plan to fix United's problems with marquee signings and Frank has shown there is another way to get success. He knows the league and has an excellent record against the top sides, as United and Ten Hag know all too well. Indeed, Brentford were the last team in any competition to beat Manchester City away from home.

The one concern is his lack of experience in the glare of the spotlight. David Moyes was highly respected for his work at Everton but was swallowed up by the enormity of being United manager and there is a danger the same could happen to Frank.

The Northern Irishman has been one of the most impressive coaches in English football in the past two seasons. No English team has earned more points than his Ipswich team in the last two years and only City have scored more goals. He has taken Ipswich back to the top flight for the first time in 22 years, also becoming the first manager in 12 years to achieve successive promotions from League One to the Premier League.

McKenna would also be a romantic option after building his reputation as a coach while in United's youth ranks, climbing his way into the staff of Jose Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Norwegian called him "the most thorough and analytical, step-by-step, process-driven coach that I’ve worked with" and said "he makes it so easy for the players to see and understand what we wanted from them."

That praise has to be balanced with criticism from players at the time that he was too much like a teacher and gave too many instructions. That gives an insight into the arrogance of some of the United squad at the time but also suggests that, rather like Frank, he might not be ready for the cauldron of pressure that comes with managing at Old Trafford.

Lacking top-level experience is certainly not an accusation that can be levelled at Tuchel. He has managed four colossal clubs in Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, and has had success with all of them, albeit to varying degrees.

It is hard to argue with his record of reaching successive Champions League finals with separate clubs and winning the trophy with Chelsea, especially given how low the Blues have sunk since his departure. And he took very little time to turn the west London club around after inheriting a dishevelled team from Frank Lampard and transforming them into European champions in just four months.

His record at Bayern does leave room for plenty of questions though, as it was under his watch that the team surrendered the Bundesliga title for the first time in 12 years. His side also threw away their place in the Champions League final with a late collapse at Real Madrid. And he seemed to get on the wrong side of plenty of players, causing an apparent split in the dressing room. For all his pedigree, there is the danger that United could end up with yet another manager who alienates his players.

United have had a history of flirtation with the Argentine, stemming all the way back to when he was in charge of Southampton. The timing has never quite been right though, with United first opting for Louis van Gaal instead of him before deciding to stick with Solskjaer when Pochettino left Tottenham in 2019.

But now the stars have aligned, with Pochettino leaving Chelsea by mutual consent earlier this week. His departure came just as his side looked at their best, winning their final five games to leapfrog United in the standings and qualify for Europe. And the manner of his exit says more about the awful way Chelsea have been run under Todd Boehly than his own shortcomings.

The Argentine might not have the trophy cabinet of Tuchel but he is a hugely charismatic figure who players and fans can rally behind. In other words, he is exactly what United need.