Thomas Tuchel's Old Trafford moment has proven he'd be an Erik ten Hag upgrade at Manchester United

There were nearly as many English as there were German journalists for an audience with Thomas Tuchel at Old Trafford in December. Bayern Munich is a club that brings a sense of occasion and Tuchel was not a stranger to the surroundings.

He first held court at Manchester United's stadium in the No.7 Suite as Paris Saint-Germain coach in February 2019. Fluent and articulate in English, it was obvious then that Tuchel would enhance English football if he ever crossed the Channel. It was more a matter of when.

United fans will have liked the cut of his jib the following night. As they relentlessly booed and abused Angel di Maria, Tuchel also joined in with the ear-bashing.

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"He kept his confidence after the first half," Tuchel said. "Because it was a bit hard for him playing right in front of me and losing easy balls. So he had a bit of a hard time because I was close to him. Maybe he was a bit nervous."

It has not gone unnoticed by United followers that Ten Hag has become a passive presence on the touchline now he is mired in the endgame. Tuchel does not stand still, never mind sit, and United are a club that has stood still too often in the past 15 years.

Tuchel would be far from a foolproof appointment. He was available in the summer, met Sir Jim Ratcliffe and nothing materialised. Ineos's card is already marked and that would be another blotch on their copybook if they returned to Tuchel's door.

Longevity is one of Tuchel's antonyms. Eighteen months at Bayern, 19 at Chelsea, two-and-a-half years with PSG and two years with Borussia Dortmund. The most successful and impressive