The walls are closing in on Erik ten Hag as Manchester United's patience runs thin.
The Dutchman is reportedly on borrowed time and faces the sack unless results can be transformed, with part owner and sporting operator Sir Jim Ratcliffe said to be weighing up his options following the dire 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham at the weekend.
Former England manager Gareth Southgate has been touted as a possible replacement, along with ex-Chelsea and Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel. The latest name on the list, as reported by the Daily Star, is current Inter Milan head honcho Simone Inzaghi, whose combative, high-pressing three at the back system is not dissimilar to compatriot Antonio Conte's style of play, only with a shade more willingness to attack.
Inzaghi cut his managerial teeth at Lazio, where he initially managed at youth level before being promoted to the first team.
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The former Italy striker, whose brother is legendary forward Filippo Inzaghi, took Lazio to a club record points tally in the 19/20 season, and helped develop players like former Liverpool man Luis Alberto and perennial transfer rumour and somehow still only 29-year-old Sergej Milinković-Savić.
The most impressive improvement under his tutelage however, was that of Italian forward Ciro Immobile, who joined the Le Aquile after disappointing spells in Germany with Borussia Dortmund and Spain with Sevilla. Under Lazio's former star striker Inzaghi, Immobile grew into a ridiculously effective frontman.
Despite his name, the forward, who now plies his trade in Turkey with Besiktas, mastered the art of ghosting through the defensive line, using exquisite off-the-ball movement rather than just pure speed, and finding himself one-on-one with the keeper. And considering the forward racked up an immense 207 goals for Lazio alone, you can probably guess what the usual outcome was.
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It was a similar story at Inter Milan, who persuaded the Italian coach to jump ship from Lazio in 2021. While Argentine frontman Lautaro Martinez was hardly goal-shy before Inzaghi's arrival, he went to another level after he joined.
The World Cup winner has had three consecutive 20+ goal seasons in Serie A, all of which were higher than in any season before Inzaghi's arrival.
Were United to plump for Inzaghi as a Ten-Hag replacement, they'd be hoping he could replicate the development of Immobile and Martinez amongst their misfiring front line. The Italian almost always opts for two up top, sometimes utilising a primary and secondary striker (as was the case with Immobile and the diminutive Argentine Joaquin Correa at Lazio), and sometimes two strikers sharing the offensive burden.
The question would be could Inzaghi inspire an equally formidable partnership with two of Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund at United, or perhaps promote a different player further up the pitch?
There are similarities between Immobile and Hojlund. Both are tall and good in the air, and also possess great off-the-ball movement. While the 21-year-old Dane is clearly still raw, he showed moments last season of real quality, especially in United's Champions League campaign last time out, where he scored 5 goals in 6 matches.
As for Rashford, and perhaps Joshua Zirkzee although he's a slightly different type of forward, United fans should look to the brilliant Marcus Thuram, who picked up 13 goals and 13 assists alongside Martinez while playing for Inzaghi's Inter last year.
While the Frenchman, who signed from German side Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2022, had already showed himself to be a dynamic forward capable of scoring lots of goals, Inzaghi helped him register a record number of goals and assist in his debut season.
Rashford, who possesses similar pace and trickery but, when on form, far better movement and ball-striking, could potentially be helped back to his best by the Italian.
For now, of course, this remains mere speculation. Ten Hag has remained defiant despite claims he only has two games to save his job and insists he is not thinking about his future. If Ratcliffe decides a change is needed, then Inzaghi's proven track record of getting the best out of his front men will certainly not do him any harm in landing the job.
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